All News (Page 38)

In a week that shook the nation, the rediscovery of the Altalena made headlines across Israel.

Seventy-eight years ago, as the Altalena went up in flames on the Tel Aviv beachfront, the Jewish people stood on the precipice of civil war. In today’s divided times, with another election on the horizon, the echoes of the Altalena serve as a stark reminder of the perils of internal strife and the urgent need for unity.

The Altalena affair marked a tumultuous chapter in the birth of the new nation of Israel. In the early days of the War of Independence, the fledgling state mourned the loss of 1,176 soldiers, while the invading Arab armies also suffered heavy casualties. The UN-brokered truce provided a crucial respite for both sides to regroup and strategize.

On June 20, 1948, amidst the ceasefire, the Altalena, chartered by Menachem Begin’s Irgun, arrived off the shores of Israel, laden with immigrants and arms. The conflicting accounts of the ship’s destruction – Begin’s claim of delivering arms to his fighters and David Ben-Gurion’s accusation of a coup attempt – underscored the deep divisions within the Jewish community.

The tense standoff at Kfar Vitkin escalated into violence, leading to casualties on both sides. As the Altalena made its way to Tel Aviv, the clash of ideologies and loyalties reached a boiling point. Ben-Gurion’s firm stance on maintaining government sovereignty and order set the stage for a tragic confrontation on the Tel Aviv beach.

The intense gunfire and mutual animosity that erupted on the beach reflected the deep-seated divisions and animosities that threatened to tear the young nation apart. The aftermath of the Altalena’s destruction left a scar on the collective memory of Israel, a wound that refused to heal.

Contrast between Ben-Gurion, Begin

Ben-Gurion’s controversial statement, “Blessed is the cannon that blew up the arms ship,” contrasted sharply with Begin’s call for unity and restraint, “There will never be a civil war.” Despite the loss of additional Irgun soldiers, Begin’s plea for brotherhood and unity resonated with a message of peace and reconciliation.

As we reflect on the lessons of the Altalena Affair in 2026, we must heed the call for unity and common purpose. In a time of political uncertainty and social discord, we must prioritize the well-being of our nation above all else. Regardless of our political affiliations, we must strive to bridge our differences with love and understanding.

As we approach the upcoming elections, let us remember the legacy of the Altalena and the importance of unity in times of crisis. Just as civil war was averted in the face of intense division, so too must we work towards healing our society and fostering a spirit of brotherhood and compassion.

In these challenging times, let us be guided by the light of unity and common purpose, ensuring that the lessons of the Altalena resonate in our hearts and minds for generations to come.

The writer is currently serving on reserve duty. He is the author of Heroes of Palmar: How one IDF Unit Revolutionized Combat Medicine in Gaza and a respected public speaker, licensed tour guide, and Jewish educator. For more information, visit www.booktuvia.com.

This post was originally published on here. 

Hundreds of thousands of Jewish students around the world will receive a personal letter and video message from 98-year-old Holocaust survivor and educator Nate Leipciger as they return to campus for the new academic year, amid rising antisemitism since October 7.

The international initiative, led by the International March of the Living, brings together Jewish organizations and student groups worldwide to distribute Leipciger’s message calling on young Jews to take pride in their identity, stand against antisemitism and remain connected to Israel. 

Participating organizations include the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS), The Jewish Agency for Israel, ASHER, the World Zionist Organization, IAC and Students Supporting Israel (SSI), among others. 

The letter is being distributed on September 1, the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II.

Leipciger was 15 when the Nazis deported him and his family from the ghetto to Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was separated from his mother and sister, whom he never saw again. Leipciger and his father survived Auschwitz, the death march and several other concentration camps. For almost three decades, he has shared his testimony with younger generations through the International March of the Living.

In his letter, Leipciger urges students: “Please remember: You are not responsible for the hatred directed at you. You do not have to conceal who you are to earn the right to belong. Never permit those who hate you to define you. Do not allow anyone to force you into a false choice between your Jewish identity and your place in the wider world. No one should demand that you deny Jewish history, disown the Jewish people or surrender your connection to Israel. Be courageous, but do not stand alone. Find one another. Support the classmate who is afraid or isolated. The future of Jewish life is passing into your hands. Carry it without apology, with compassion and strength.”

Nate Leipciger’s full open letter: https://motl.org/an-open-letter-to-jewish-students-never-let-hatred-define-you/

The initiative comes as Jewish students have faced heightened antisemitism on campuses since October 7, including harassment, exclusion and hostility related to their Jewish identity and connection to Israel. In the letter, Leipciger draws a distinction between legitimate criticism of any government, including Israel’s, and discrimination against Jewish students.

Leipciger’s appeal also comes months after mezuzahs were torn from the doors of apartments belonging to elderly Jewish residents, including Holocaust survivors, in the Toronto building where he lives.

This past April, Leipciger participated in the International March of the Living for the 22nd time, more than any other Holocaust survivor from the Diaspora who has accompanied young people through the program. At 98, he once again walked from Auschwitz to Birkenau alongside thousands of participants, continuing his decades-long commitment to preserving Holocaust memory for the next generation.

Leipciger also calls on Jewish students to support one another, strengthen their knowledge of Jewish history, build alliances and stand against racism, antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.

Support the March of the Living: https://motl.org/donate/

This post was originally published on here. 

Israel Police arrested eight suspected arsonists in the southern Hebron Hills on Monday night, the police confirmed on Tuesday.

In one alleged incident, the suspected arsonists are linked to vandalizing a mosque in Bazariya, northwest of Nablus, including setting fire to the structure and spraying anti-Muslim graffiti slogans in Hebrew on the structure’s walls.

However, another slogan that appeared to be sprayed on the walls of the mosques denounced US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, reading “Huckabee, greetings from the ‘terrorists,'” after the ambassador publicly denounced extremist settler violence in the West Bank, particularly Kusra, as “terrorism.”

הכפר בזאריה בשומרון (ליד בורקה) – המשטרה פתחה בחקירה ונערכת לכניסה לכפר.

האיומים לפרשננו לרועי שרון – לא ירתיעו אותו ולא אף אחד מאיתנו לדווח אמת.

רועי לא מורתע הוא רק הלך קצת לשמור על המדינה במילואים לכמה ימים, בהתנדבות במקום כאלה שרק יוצרים נזקים https://t.co/YOjWG6l2oX

— Haim Goldich | חיים גולדיטש (@HGoldich) September 1, 2026

The slogans also appear to directly name and threaten journalists from Israel’s public broadcaster, KAN News, who reported on the extremist settler violence throughout the summer.

KAN released a statement denouncing the threats of violence targeting their journalists by name, including military and security correspondent and analyst Roy Sharon.

“We strongly condemn the threats that were spray-painted in the last few hours on the wall of a mosque in Samaria, against KAN News correspondent Roy Sharon,” the public broadcaster said.

“The attempt to intimidate a journalist because of his work will not succeed and will not deter Roy or the KAN News newsroom from continuing to provide reliable and professional reporting even on disturbances in Judea and Samaria,” KAN added.

We expect the law enforcement authorities to act swiftly and decisively to locate those responsible and bring them to justice. Our journalistic work will continue without fear,” KAN stated.

Police officers also seized three vehicles believed to have been used by the suspects during their alleged arson and assault incidents.

All eight suspects are residents of the West Bank, aged between 16 and 20 years old, police noted.

Israel Police, IDF, Tag Meir denounce alleged extremist settler vandalism of West Bank mosque

Police condemned the “cases of violence, damage to property and religious symbols,” and stated that additional arrests are expected.

The IDF also condemned the incident, saying that “attacks on religious institutions harm the residents of the region and security stability, and divert the attention of the security forces from counter-terrorism and defense activities.”

“This mosque is ‘only’ the 11th mosque to be set on fire since mid-June, but the Israeli government continues to sell us the illusion that it is a ‘handful of criminals.’ It is clear that hundreds of terrorists, rabbis, ministers, and MKs like [Religious Zionist Party MK] Zvi Sukkot are just another completely accidental ‘handful,'” Tag Meir stated in a condemnation of the suspected arsonists.

Tag Meir describes itself as an organization that “resolves to connect different groups in Israeli society in the battle to eradicate racism and violence in Israel,” particularly aiming to denounce “price tag” attacks on West Bank Arabs by extremist settlers.

Israel Police requested an extension of their detention, and the investigation is ongoing.

This post was originally published on here. 

The reduced Joint Arab List and Ra’am are two of many parties vying for citizens’ votes in the election for the 26th Knesset, to be held on October 27.

The current Joint List, composed of Yousef Jabareen’s Hadash, Ahmad Tibi’s Ta’al, and Sami Abu Shehadeh’s Balad, was re-established in a reduced format recently after months of negotiations over whether and how the four main Arab parties would run. Polling has generally shown that the Arab parties would earn more seats in a joint run together.

Despite the four parties initially agreeing to work toward a complete Arab Joint List earlier this year,  Ra’am chairperson Mansour Abbas has held off on joining the Arab alliance, hoping his party could be invited to the next coalition independently.

Although the reduced Joint List has left the door open for Ra’am to join it, there has been no indication that Mansour will do so ahead of next week’s deadline to submit final party lists.

In an unprecedented move, Ra’am recently added former police official and MK Yoav Segalovitz to its list, after Segalovitz announced his departure from the Zionist, centerist Yesh Atid party. 

Segalovitz will be the first Jewish candidate for the Islamist-conservative political party and is expected to receive the second slot on its slate.

The addition of a Jewish candidate to the Arab party’s list has been widely seen as a way for Ra’am to be viewed as a more viable coalition partner.

Abbas has appeared to pursue a more pragmatic approach to Israeli politics and coalition-building than the other major Arab parties, a strategy that could potentially make him a kingmaker if neither major Jewish political bloc can reach 61 seats on its own. 

In the 25th Knesset, Ra’am and the Hadash-Ta’al alliance each held five seats. Currently, Ra’am is polling at about five seats, while the reduced Joint List is looking at approximately eight.

Additionally, Ra’am is the only Arab party that has ever joined a coalition, during the Bennett-Lapid government in 2021. Although Ra’am seeks to be part of the coalition again, most opposition parties in the bloc seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have rejected the possibility of forming a government with any of the Arab parties.

The three parties making up the Joint List are not ideologically identical. 

Broadly speaking, Hadash can be defined as socialist-communist, Ta’al as occupying a position between Hadash and Balad, and Balad as the most explicitly Arab-nationalist of the three. 

Hadash

Hadash, the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, is the successor to Israel’s Arab-Jewish Communist Party and has historically emphasized Jewish-Arab partnership. The party traditionally reserves a slot for a Jewish candidate, currently MK Ofer Cassif, who is one of the party’s most outspoken voices and has publicly denounced Israel’s war in Gaza and has voiced support for South Africa’s ICJ genocide case against Israel.

Ta’al

Ta’al, founded by Ahmad Tibi, occupies a more pragmatic position and is described as a party concerned with balancing participation in Israeli political institutions with protecting the Palestinian cause. 

Balad

Balad is the most explicitly Arab-nationalist of the three reduced Joint List parties. Its longtime political demand has been for Israel to become a “state of all its citizens”, rather than a state defined as Jewish. Current Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh said the concept was intended to cancel what he described as Jewish supremacy in legislation and the state’s political structure. 

Ra’am

Ra’am is rooted in the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement and has taken the most institutionally integrationist approach of the four Arab parties. Rather than rejecting participation in Israeli political institutions, Abbas has argued that Arab citizens can use political participation and coalition negotiations to improve their communities.

Ra’am’s primary political philosophy is more focused on practical integration and extracting benefits from government participation. Abbas has previously argued that Arab political participation should be used to address crime, housing, economic development and other problems facing Arab society. 

The Joint List has not committed to a particular Jewish-led coalition. Jabareen previously told The Jerusalem Post that the party would seek progress toward a Palestinian state, equality for Arab citizens, action against organized crime and increased budgets for Arab society and local authorities.

Jabareen has also made clear that removing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from power was a central electoral objective.

He also told the Post that the reduced Joint List’s future support for an alternative government would depend on negotiations over the party’s key demands.

Abbas has, meanwhile, historically refused to commit himself to either the political Left or the Right, saying he would not rule out potential coalition partners, making Ra’am potentially more flexible in coalition negotiations than the reduced Joint List.

The Arab faction has been vocal in its support of a two-state solution, end to Israeli-Palestinian conflict

All four of the Arab parties support the establishment of a Palestinian state. Balad has historically opposed the idea of maintaining Israel’s current political structure as a Jewish state and has instead advocated a state based on equal citizenship.

Jabareen has stated that the Joint List would push for renewed negotiations with Palestinian leadership to advance the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Ra’am’s Abbas has meanwhile pursued a more pragmatic political strategy, emphasizing Arab citizens’ interests within Israel while also calling for Palestinian statehood and an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

What a vote for these parties is likely to produce

A vote for the Hadash-Ta’al-Balad Joint List is most likely to produce a larger Arab parliamentary bloc focused on Palestinian statehood, equality for Arab citizens, combating crime and increasing state resources for Arab communities. 

A vote for Ra’am, by contrast, appears to be a vote for potentially integrating an Arab party into Israel’s next government.

The result is that neither Arab electoral option necessarily translates into a predetermined coalition. The Joint List is positioning itself as an opposition force seeking to replace the current government while using its seats to demand political concessions. Ra’am is leaving itself greater room to negotiate with potential coalition builders.

Keshet Neev contributed to this report.

This post was originally published on here. 

For two days now, I have been walking alongside Yehiel Tsuberi through the picturesque alleyways overlooking Lake Como, and it feels as though I am walking with an unofficial mayor. We are in the heart of what is known as the “Golden Triangle” – the point where the three main towns of Varenna, Bellagio, and Menaggio meet the inverted Y-shaped expansion of the lake. The view is breathtaking, but what fascinates me more than any ancient stone or reflection of mountains in the water is the way the Italians receive Yehiel.

Every few meters, someone stops us. A warm hug, a pat on the back, a wide smile, a flowing conversation in rich, emotion-filled Italian. They laugh with him, dance with him in spontaneous encounters, invite him for local wine. I asked him if these were distant acquaintances or colleagues, and he answered simply: “These are my friends. This is how I live, and this is how I work.” We sat together at a table, shared simple, exquisite Italian food, and paused the recorder for a moment just to breathe in the silence and this rare human connection.

Yet beneath this pastoral tranquility and overwhelming local warmth, I was exposed to a jarring, almost unbelievable drama – a story of blind hatred that pursued Yehiel all the way here, and the surprising way he chose to confront it.

The October 7 Massacre and the fire that reached Como

Yehiel is no stranger to Italy. He completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture at the renowned Politecnico di Milano, integrated into leading firms, and obtained Italian citizenship. He knows the local culture, language, and philosophy inside out.

When war broke out on October 7, Yehiel, his wife, and their three children were at the end of a trip to New Zealand, just moments before their planned return to Israel. Airspace closed, utter confusion reigned, and they landed temporarily in Italy. Italian friends opened their doors and hearts, helping them settle in. Yet the moment an opportunity opened – just four days later – Yehiel and his family boarded a flight straight back to Israel. The exact opposite of what many would expect from someone holding a European passport and a home abroad.

However, the war and hostility did not stay within the borders of the Middle East. Recently, Yehiel found himself at the center of an orchestrated, violent, and ugly campaign by pro-Palestinian groups in Italy. It began with an article addressing environmental aspects of his project in the leading newspaper Corriere della Sera, but quickly spiraled into a personal, venomous campaign against him due to his Israeli and Jewish identity: flyers, online videos, hate messages, and protests that reached into the heart of this pastoral region.

Three consecutive articles were published in the Italian press. The local mayor and numerous residents openly stood by his side, appalled that an individual was being boycotted and attacked solely for his nationality, in total contradiction to Italian law and spirit.

The personal confession and the secret kept from his mother

When I asked Yehiel how it feels when such hatred confronts all the goodwill and friendship he invests in Italy, I saw vulnerability alongside strength in his eyes. He shared an intimate, chilling moment: “It’s terrifying. These groups are dangerous, and they have painted a target on my back. Until this article is published, my mother had no idea. She doesn’t know what I’m going through here. I kept it from her to spare her the worry. Now, feeling strong and secure in my path, it’s time to tell the story.”

Faced with this threat, Yehiel refused to surrender to the natural fight-or-flight response. He chose what he calls the “Third Way” – pro-positivity.

“I will not run away, and I will not waste energy on wars of hatred,” he told me as we stood facing the water. “Throughout the generations, whenever the Jewish people were persecuted, their response was always to do more: create more art, write more, build more, contribute more to the world. This attack didn’t weaken me; it drove me to act with an intensity I hadn’t known before. I delve deeper into my roots, write texts I haven’t written in twenty years, and bring Israeli identity and mutual responsibility right into the heart of Italy.”

The Jerusalem Continuum: Breathing life into the ancient village

This mission comes to life in the unique project Yehiel is currently building alongside his partner – his former university lecturer and employer, a respected Italian architect. The project is located in Bolognina, an ancient hamlet within the municipality of Perledo, just minutes from the lake’s shores.

The structure is designed in organic terraces offering an unobstructed, 100% open view of central Lake Como. Within two months, it will be fully covered with soil and green vegetation, blending entirely into the wild landscape. Yet for Yehiel, the engineering framework is merely an outer shell. The true essence is what he calls the “Jerusalem Continuum.”

“In architecture, there is the Athenian, rationalist continuum, which begins with geometric form,” he explains. “And there is the Jerusalem continuum, the emotional one, which begins with the person and the human experience. I don’t ask how many square meters I can sell; I ask what this village needs to come alive again. These villages are too quiet. My dream is to hear laughter and the sounds of children playing in the central piazza again; to bring tourists who buy cheese and wine directly from locals; to enable weddings from around the world, across all religions and genders, in the church and town hall of Perledo. To turn this project into a heart that pumps fresh life into this place.”

Creator-entrepreneur: Calling on Italy to rediscover itself

Yehiel defines himself as a “creator-entrepreneur” – a concept that restores the architect to their Renaissance-era standing, when thinkers were also doers: artists, philosophers, and bridges between different worlds. He avoids aggressive, traditional marketing methods, relying instead on genuine human connection, shared passions, and a love for food, nature, and architecture.

As our tour neared its end, with the sun dipping behind the peaks of Como and painting the water in deep gold, Yehiel summarized the philosophy driving him:

“All of Western civilization rests on two historical pillars – Athens and Jerusalem, Rome and Jerusalem. The great Renaissance humanists, like Pico della Mirandola, learned Hebrew to understand Jewish scriptures, blending Jerusalem emotion with Western logic. You cannot sever one leg and expect the culture to stand. My message to Italians and Israelis alike is to believe in themselves, never surrender their identity, and not be afraid. We don’t need to fight the darkness – our task is simply to kindle more and more light.”

This post was originally published on here. 

Massachusetts incumbent and Israel critic Sen. Ed Markey, 80, is expected to handily fend off the more moderate 47-year-old Rep. Seth Moulton on Tuesday, in the state’s Democratic Senate primary.  

Although polls project that Markey, a progressive stalwart, will retain his seat, this race began as a neck-and-neck battle between the old and new guard. Yet in contrast to many recent primaries, the junior candidate in this case is the more centrist of the two.  

If current numbers hold, Markey could go from leading Moulton by just single digits two months ago, to trouncing him by 30 percentage points. The incumbent recently “opened a large lead,” with the University of New Hampshire’s Bay State Poll projecting a 63% to 28% victory. That’s a dramatic shift from June, when the survey estimated a 41% to 35% margin. Since then, according to Bay State, Moulton lost moderate support while Markey consolidated socialist and progressive backing. 

The University of Massachusetts Amherst offered similar predictions, placing Markey far ahead of his competitor, 60% to 32%. Emerson College Polling, meanwhile, showed a comparable lead for Markey, with the incumbent at 60% and Moulton at 33%.

“At the end of the day, one of the reasons for Moulton’s flame-out is that he had no case to make other than ‘I’m younger than Ed Markey,’” Jeff Robbins, a Boston-based attorney and former Senate investigative counsel, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 

“He wasn’t able to obscure that very well,” added Robbins, who also served as delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Commission under President Bill Clinton. He also began organizing rallies in support of Israel in 2012, during his time serving as chairman of the New England Board of the Anti-Defamation League. 

Markey’s long tenure in Congress

Markey began serving in the US House of Representatives 50 years ago, staying in that role until he was elected to the Senate in 2013. During his time in the House, he was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and in the Senate, he has voted for multiple resolutions aimed at cutting military aid and munitions sales to Israel. 

Moulton, meanwhile, was born two years after Markey arrived on Capitol Hill. He has been serving in the US House since 2015 and has been critical of both the Democratic socialist agenda and the aging establishment, instead calling for “new energy, new ideas and leaders willing to put people over politics.”

He established the Serve America PAC in 2017 to support the campaigns of “military veterans, other service-driven candidates and next generation leaders” in the 2020 election cycle. The Boston Globe recently threw its support behind Moulton, calling for  “new vision and vigor” in “an aging, ailing and deeply unpopular Democratic Party.” 

Yet a recent New York Times piece described Moulton as a “rebel without a cause,” who has “tried to drift where he thinks the political winds are blowing.” One such drift relates to his breakup with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee last October, when he announced that he would be “returning AIPAC donations and refusing to accept any donations or support from them.” 

“In recent years AIPAC has aligned itself too closely with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government,” Moulton said. “I’m a friend of Israel, but not of its current government.”

Track AIPAC, a group that documents political spending by pro-Israel lobbies, declared in response that “returning AIPAC’s blood money is better late than never.” The group demanded that Moulton call the war in Gaza a genocide and “stop writing blank checks” to Israel’s “tyrannical regime.” 

Citing Federal Election Commission records, Track AIPAC found that pro-Israel PACs have spent about $101,500 on Moulton over his career — a relatively modest amount for a six-term congressman..

“It is clearly the safe thing to do, if you are running for a nomination in the Democratic Party, to aggressively distance yourself from Israel,” said Robbins.

He described the situation as “reflective of the reality that we have seen play out in spades over the last year,” in which Democratic candidates are “running for the hills about AIPAC and treating it as a boogeyman.”

Not only was Moulton’s decision insufficient to recruit AIPAC detractors to his campaign, but it also rattled many members of the Jewish community. 

Distancing from the organized Jewish community is a political asset

Political scientist Samuel Abrams at the time described the decision as “the moment when an ambitious, mainstream Democrat concluded that distancing himself from the organized Jewish community is a political asset, not a liability.”

“In today’s Democratic ecosystem, the act of rejecting traditional Jewish institutions has become a badge of progressive credibility,” wrote Abrams, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right public policy think tank. 

David Frum, a writer for The Atlantic and former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, suggested that Moulton was “opening the door *just a little* to anti-Jewish feeling,” In other words, Moulton would seek to win his primary by borrowing some “Mamdani energy,” Frum added, referring to the popular progressive mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani. 

“If you want to have a prayer of being elected in a Democratic primary in this country, you had better be able to say, ‘I don’t take money from AIPAC. In fact, I never heard of it before,’” Robbins said.  

But he stressed Moulton’s 30-point lag in the polls has nothing to do with Israel and everything to do with his opponent’s political shrewdness and refusal to allow anyone “to run to the left of him.”

Markey is not new to staving off a younger, center-left candidate. In 2020, at 74, he defeated the then-39-year-old Rep. Joe Kennedy III — marking the first loss for a Kennedy in a Massachusetts election, according to the Cook Political Report. 

If the current polls prove accurate, Tuesday’s race could “mirror Markey’s successful ‘peak-late’ approach to winning in 2020,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a statement. “Younger voters appear more likely than older voters to support Markey, suggesting the campaign did not create the generational divide Moulton may have anticipated.” 

As for Moulton’s relationship toward American Jews, he has historically denounced hate crimes and voted for resolutions on antisemitism. He also condemned Claudine Gay, former president of his alma mater, Harvard University, when she refused to say that calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the institution’s code of conduct. 

Prior to his rejection of AIPAC money, Moulton’s stance on Israel was fairly balanced, with consistent messages on Israel’s right to defend itself, alongside criticisms of the country’s military operations in Gaza and calls for expansions of humanitarian aid. 

Moulton’s objections have paled in comparison to Markey’s stance, which has ranged from demanding an end to arms sales to accusing the country of committing war crimes. 

Markey did condemn Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel as terrorism, continuing to deplore the “dark day” as “heinous” in a statement two years later. But in that same statement, he also stressed that “more than 65,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the brutality of the war in Gaza” and called “to stop the bloodshed.”

Markey’s position switch on Israel

However, the senator didn’t always disapprove of Israel. 

“For a long time he was right there with the Jewish community,” Barry Shrage, a professor of practice at Brandeis University and the longtime former president of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, told JTA. 

In fact, Shrage and Robbins recalled in a recent Boston Herald column that during a November 2012 Hamas-Israel conflict, Markey asked them to help him organize a pro-Israel rally. The event, they wrote, was “full of appreciation for the fundamental fact that Israel is surrounded by non-state and state actors committed to annihilating it.”

But less than two years later, the tides had turned. After winning a 2013 special election to serve out the remainder of John Kerry’s Senate term, Markey then faced a general election in 2014 for a full Senate term. That summer, Hamas rockets rained down on Israel again, and the military responded to the attacks, as it did in November 2012. 

Robbins said that when he and his colleagues decided to organize another rally in support of Israel at the time, he reached out to Markey. 

“He ducks. He dodges. He doesn’t return the phone calls. He doesn’t return the emails,” Robbins recalled. “He had calculated correctly that it was not in his interest to have anything to do with Israel anymore.”

Shrage echoed these sentiments, observing that “it turned out to be at least from a political standpoint, if not from a moral standpoint, the right path.” 

“It’s not a surprise that Markey is separating himself from Israel in every way that he can,” he added. 

Looking toward the future, Shrage said that he had some hope for a turnaround on Israel in the Democratic party if, perhaps, a recent progressive primary winner lost against a Republican in the general election. Some possible examples could include Senate candidates Angie Nixon in Florida or Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. 

While Robbins agreed that a loss for El-Sayed could give a slight bump to Democratic supporters of Israel, he was pessimistic about the long-term ability to reverse the party’s increasing hostility toward the Jewish state. 

“The only conceivable trigger for a walking back of this trend would be some massacre of Israelis so terrible that even the left would have to concede that Israel had the right to do what it did,” Robbins said. 

“The problem with that is, it’s already occurred,” he added. 

This post was originally published on here. 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for Moscow’s position on the Iran war and resulting sanctions, and said that together, Moscow and Tehran can resist what he called US “unilateralism.”

Putin told Pezeshkian at a meeting in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek that Moscow stood in solidarity with the Iranian people in the fight for their interests.

Putin also said that Russia and Iran will maintain their economic and trade relationship despite the current military and political environment.

This is a developing story.

This post was originally published on here. 

Multiple private schools in east Jerusalem are on strike as of Tuesday until further notice, after Israel reportedly failed to renew entry permits for more than 70 teaching staff, according to a statement issued by the schools’ owners on Monday evening.

The General Secretariat for Christian Educational Institutions of Jerusalem said the decision was made after Israel allegedly failed to renew the entry permits without prior warning, making the opening of the school year impossible.

The statement further claimed that the absence of the staff members meant that educational, administrative and health-related school operations, as well as cleaning services and safety and security procedures, could not be properly carried out, depriving students of a “safe and stable” environment in which to learn.

The striking schools serve some 15,000 students, according to data from the east Jerusalem organization Ir Amim.

“We pray and hope that this crisis will be resolved as quickly as possible, that such measures will cease and not recur in the future, thereby preserving the stability of our educational institutions and guaranteeing students’ right to orderly and safe education, while enabling our schools to continue their authentic educational, pedagogical, and humanitarian mission,” the statement read.

Strike comes amid concern over Israel’s ‘imposed’ curriculum

The strike, according to the Palestinian Authority-run WAFA, came amid concerns over plans for Israel’s curriculum to be “imposed” on 45,000 students from first through seventh grade in east Jerusalem.

Though Israel tried to introduce its own curriculum after the Six-Day War in 1967, the move was met with significant backlash and the plans were ultimately abandoned.

More recent measures have affected Palestinians’ ability to work within Israel’s education and public-service systems without an Israeli education. In 2018, Israel’s Labor and Welfare Ministry revoked its recognition of social-work degrees from Palestinian institutions including Al-Quds University. In January 2026, the Knesset passed legislation restricting graduates of Palestinian universities from teaching in Israeli and east Jerusalem schools without Israeli accreditation.

The strikes notably also come as the Palestinian education sector continues to struggle. Palestinian Authority-run schools have been forced to reduce classes to only three days a week over funding issues, and Israel has shut down UNRWA operations in east Jerusalem.

This post was originally published on here. 

The internationally recognized Yemeni government’s counterterrorism force, known as “Task Force 22,” killed Abu Hudhayfa al-Ansari, the chief spokesperson of Islamic State and the reported head of the terror group’s Yemen cells, Yemen’s Central State Security Agency said on Tuesday.

The counterterrorism force was aided by forces from the Saudi-led anti-Houthi coalition, the statement noted.

According to the statement, the operation caused no civilian casualties.

Islamic State’s official media has not confirmed or denied the raid or Ansari’s death at the time of writing.

While official government statements did not name the location of the operation, Yemeni media aligned with the internationally recognized government reported that the operation took place early Tuesday morning, when forces raided a mud house in Seiyun, Hadramout Province.

Local media said residents heard two consecutive explosions at about 1 a.m. in Seiyun, coinciding with the raid conducted by “Task Force 22” and coalition counterterror forces.

One local outlet cited sources who reported that Ansari was wounded and arrested during the raid, later succumbing to his wounds. Another person who was staying in the house was killed during the raid, the sources claimed.

Ansari became terror group’s chief spokesperson in 2023

Islamic State named Ansari as its chief spokesperson in August 2023. In February, the terror group published an audio message attributed to Ansari, in which he attacked the Ahmed al-Sharaa-led Syrian government and called on ISIS members to continue fighting against Damascus and Sharaa’s regime.

IS leaders often take a nom de guerre while holding official positions, and thus “Abu Hudhayfa al-Ansari” was likely not the terror leader’s legal name. An unconfirmed Yemeni media report cited sources identifying his legal identity as “Mithaq Thabit Haitham al-Radfani,” but official sources have not yet corroborated this.

This post was originally published on here. 

Iran has sufficient foreign currency reserves despite US sanctions, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said on Tuesday, after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tehran was lashing out because it was losing the economic war.

The central bank was ready to inject up to $2 billion into the foreign exchange market to calm recent volatility, Hemmati said, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

“I am telling the President of the United States: Iran has (foreign) currency and it has enough,” he added.

His comments appeared aimed at reassuring markets after Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, pointed to growing difficulties for an economy facing US sanctions and a naval blockade.

Hemmati said the central bank was continuing to collect foreign currency receivables and had domestic reserves as well as other resources, though he added that details of those could not be disclosed.

“I tell the people with complete honesty that economic conditions and livelihood management have become difficult, but collapse has never happened and will never happen. These claims are just psychological warfare, and the dust will settle soon,” Hemmati said.

Iran’s currency plunges to record low

Iran’s currency plunged to a record low in August, crossing the psychological threshold of 2 million rials to the US dollar, while annual inflation reached 66% in July.

Bessent said on Monday that Iran was taking US sanctions seriously and was “lashing out kinetically because they are losing economically”.

Washington has been increasingly relying on economic pressure to try to force Tehran to meet its demands, and Bessent has warned that those doing business with Iran could face US sanctions.

This post was originally published on here. 

Two supertankers carrying Saudi oil were struck by unknown projectiles within minutes of each other while transiting outbound through the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, according to shipping intelligence and tracking firms Marisks and Kpler.

“The near-simultaneous incidents represent a further escalation in the threat environment within the Omani corridor,” Marisks said.

The tankers each loaded 2 million barrels of Saudi crude at the Juaymah terminal last week, Kpler data showed. Saudi Aramco resumed oil loadings and sales from inside the strait in August.

Iranian and US blockades of the Strait of Hormuz have sharply curbed energy exports from the Gulf as both sides tried to assert their authority over the waterway.

Efforts by mediators including Qatar and Oman to broker a deal to reopen the strait, which carried about a fifth of global oil supplies before the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran more than six months ago, have so far proven inconclusive.

Oil prices gained on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump threatened further strikes against Iran, following the first exchanges of fire since late July.

Saudi Arabia reported attacks against two vessels

In the latest attacks on shipping, the Saudi Arabian-flagged very large crude carrier Sidr was struck by unknown projectiles about 16.6 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, at about 7:52 p.m. UTC (GMT), Marisks said.

Minutes later, the Liberian-flagged VLCC Senegal Prosperity was reportedly struck by three unknown projectiles approximately 17 nautical miles east of Khasab, Marisks said. All crew aboard were reported safe, it added.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported three projectiles striking a tanker in the same location as it sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz, in what appeared to be the same incident.

Bahri, operator of Sidr, and Sinokor, operator of Senegal Prosperity, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian media reported that a Saudi oil tanker was stopped while transiting through the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz.

This post was originally published on here. 

New episodes every Sunday-Thursday.

For more news, analysis, and the latest updates, head to jpost.com.

Headlines edited by Shir Perets.

Hosted and produced by Gadi Zaig.

This post was originally published on here. 

A 33-year-old Modi’in Illit man was indicted in the Central District Court on Tuesday for allegedly committing an indecent act against a girl of approximately 12 after offering her a ride and driving her to a nearby forest.

The prosecution also asked the court to keep the defendant, Meir Hammami, in custody until the criminal proceedings against him are completed.

According to the indictment, Hammami encountered the girl while she was crossing at a pedestrian crossing near the entrance to Modi’in Illit. The two did not know one another.

Prosecutors allege that Hammami offered her a ride and, after she entered his vehicle, began asking questions about her and her family.

He then allegedly diverted from the route and drove to a nearby forest, where he stopped the vehicle in daylight, exposed himself, and demanded that the girl perform a sexual act. 

According to the indictment, the girl began crying and pleaded with Hammami to leave because she was late. He then drove her home.

Hammami charged with count of indecent act against a minor

The indictment charges Hammami with one count of committing an indecent act against a minor.

The prosecution’s separate detention request will determine whether Hammami remains in custody while the case proceeds. 

This post was originally published on here. 

Vice President JD Vance emphasized the importance of the American-Israel relationship, pinned rising antisemitism on immigration, and sidestepped a question about podcasters like Tucker Carlson during a highly anticipated, closed-door appearance at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual summit on Monday.

Vance’s appearance came at a moment when a number of Jewish Republicans have turned against him over his reprimanding of Israeli officials, indulgence of anti-Israel conspiracy theories, and his silence on Carlson, a prominent media personality who promotes such narratives. 

Some donors have indicated that they would prefer Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Vance as the presidential nominee in 2028. Yet Vance was met with a standing ovation as he took the stage, and received another one as he left, according to multiple people who were in the room.

Following the event, RJC leaders said they felt the appearance was a positive step in the relationship.

“Today is not primary day. But I think today was progress day for JD Vance and the Jewish community,” RJC board member Ari Fleischer told reporters.

Vance asked where he’d draw the line on appearing

The summit’s Monday evening portion was closed to the press, but an audio recording of Vance’s 35-minute conversation with Norm Coleman, the RJC’s chairman, was sent to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

During the conversation, Coleman asked Vance where he drew the line when deciding which podcasts he could appear on. Coleman named Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Joe Rogan and Nick Fuentes as examples of hosts who have platformed antisemites, but Vance avoided mentioning Carlson, answering only about Rogan and Fuentes.

“I do not think that Joe Rogan and Nick Fuentes are the same, just substantively,” Vance said.  

“Obviously I’m not going to talk to a guy who’s attacked my wife or said that Hitler is a good guy, but outside of some pretty bright lines, I try to talk to as many people as I can,” Vance said. 

Vance’s response, which advocated for a wide-tent approach, drew applause in the room, though some were not pleased with the answer, nor the openness of the question.

“You might think that Norm Coleman, who owed his audience a bit more, would have said, ‘Let’s address this Tucker question once and for all: Where do you stand with him?’” said Neil Cooper, an RJC member who said he’s run out of patience with the vice president.

Sid Rosenberg, the right-wing firebrand radio host, wrote that Vance “had a chance to hammer @TuckerCarlson and @megynkelly but instead spent all his time defending @joerogan over Nick Fuentes.”

Ann Rubinfeld, an RJC member who supports Vance for 2028, said she is deeply opposed to Carlson but didn’t feel that the vice president needed to address Carlson head-on. “I don’t think that needs to be said,” she said.

Vance received a number of ovations during the conversation, including after Coleman commended him and Trump for leading what he said was the most pro-Israel administration in American history. Chants of “USA!” rang out as Vance took the stage. The warm reception may have come as a surprise for some in the room.

“This will be a tough crowd for him tomorrow,” Florida Rep. Randy Fine told reporters on Monday. In the morning leading up to Vance’s appearance, Rosenberg called on attendees to “give Vance a chance.” Ron Dermer, who has served as Israeli Ambassador to the United States and Strategic Affairs Minister, told the crowd, “I hope you all give him a warm welcome,” and thanked Vance for his “critical role” behind the scenes of the 12-day war fought with Israel against Iran in 2025.

Cooper said he’d expected “more skepticism, even bordering on stony silence” heading into the event, but hoped to be won over.

He added, “People get too excited by celebrities.”

Vance had made a stop in Michigan earlier on Monday, and told the room that he met with the rabbi of Temple Israel, as well as the security guards who helped prevent an antisemitic attack on the synagogue. Vance also referred to Michigan’s Republican nominee in the November Senate race, Mike Rogers, who is facing Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, in what he called “maybe the single most important candidate right now in this midterm election.” 

Asked about his opinion on the US-Israel relationship, Vance said Israel is “certainly one of our most important alliances in the world,” and that Israel and America, or any of its allies, must always be pursuing their own interests. 

“I’m very much a foreign policy realist,” he said. 

Vance also brought up the “growing suspicion” of the US-Israel relationship among people under 40, and said “we have to articulate why this is in the best interest of the United States of America,” listing benefits such as intelligence collection and technology sharing.

Jewish Republicans don’t forget Vance’s earlier comments about Israel

Some of the heat Vance has drawn from Jewish Republicans has stemmed from comments he has made about Israel. In June, in response to criticism of the Iran deal, Vance said that Israeli cabinet members should not attack “the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”

“We don’t forget statements like that,” Valerie Greenfeld, an RJC member who lives in Jerusalem, said in a text to JTA.

Speaking about the rise of antisemitism in the United States, Vance blamed it partly on immigration policy. He said that the increase comes from “people who are bringing ancient ethnic hatreds into the United States,” and that it is not a problem by-and-large among white Americans. 

“You know, the Fuentes character who really does hate Jews, and also, by the way, really hates me and my family, so you’re in good company; that is real,” Vance said. “But it’s not common among most of our fellow citizens.”

Vance condemned antisemitism, and drew applause when he told attendees, on behalf of the White House administration, “We love you guys, we appreciate you guys, and you will very much always be on the team so long as I have any say in it.”

Vance spoke about his own Christian faith and the connections between it and Judaism. He said he noticed similarities during a previous RJC event and at the wedding of his Jewish former chief of staff, Jacob Reses, where Vance did a reading.

“There were all these liturgical similarities between Judaism and Catholicism that are very fascinating,” Vance said.

Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Jewish conservative activist who attended the RJC confab, wrote afterwards that he appreciates Vance’s commitment to his religious beliefs, and that he agrees on forming foreign policy from an “America first” perspective. But Vance had more to prove, he said.

“His refusal to unequivocally denounce and condemn Tucker, who just called for Trump’s immediate removal, will make it very hard for the American Jewish community to consider his otherwise stellar policies,” he said.

This post was originally published on here. 

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of a man suspected of involvement in placing sedative substances in baby fruit-puree jars until September 6, Israel Police said on Tuesday.

The decision allows investigators to continue questioning the suspect while he remains in custody. The suspect, a man in his 40s from southern Israel, was arrested at his home on Monday following what police described as a breakthrough in the investigation. His name remains under a court-imposed publication ban until Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Police suspect that sedative substances were deliberately inserted into jars of Prinok fruit puree sold at two Zol Begadol supermarket branches on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem.

The Health Ministry confirmed in June that laboratory tests found clonazepam and lorazepam in several jars. Both are prescription medications from the benzodiazepine family and can cause drowsiness, weakness and confusion.

At least three young children were hospitalized after consuming the puree and were later discharged in stable condition. Earlier reports placed the number of hospitalized children at four.

According to the Health Ministry, five contaminated jars were identified during the investigation. Three were provided by customers, and two were found on store shelves. All five showed signs of having been opened or tampered with before purchase.

Tests on products obtained from the importer found no contamination, and the ministry said it had found no evidence of a manufacturing defect. No general recall of Prinok products was issued.

The two Zol Begadol branches where the affected jars were sold were initially closed. They were later barred from selling food and cosmetic products until they established stricter quality-control measures, including limiting uncontrolled access to products and regularly checking for damaged packaging.

Attorney says suspect has mental-health conditions

Attorney Zecharia Shenkolevsky, who is representing the suspect on behalf of the Public Defender’s Office, said his client has a mental-health condition and is currently in a complex psychological state.

“The investigation is in its early stages, and we expect it to be conducted while protecting his rights, certainly in light of his medical circumstances,” Shenkolevsky said, adding that the suspect was cooperating with investigators.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing. Unless he is released earlier, the suspect will remain in custody until September 6, when police will have to seek a further extension if they believe his continued detention is necessary.

Goldie Katz, Maya Zanger-Shamir and Tzvi Jasper contributed to this report.

This post was originally published on here. 

A food-allergy association petitioned the High Court of Justice on Monday to stop the Education Ministry from replacing medical-support aides assigned to children with life-threatening allergies with a single nurse serving an entire school.

The pilot, approved by the Education and Health ministries, is planned for eight elementary schools. Under the program, nurses will replace aides currently assigned to pupils who require medical supervision and will also provide healthcare services to the rest of the school.

Roles not interchangeable, Yahel argues

YAHEL – Food Allergy Counseling and Guidance argues that the two roles are not interchangeable.

While a nurse is more medically qualified, the association says one nurse responsible for an entire school cannot provide the continuous supervision currently given by aides who remain close to eligible pupils throughout the day.

The Education Ministry rejects that claim, saying that the existing aides have limited medical training, while a qualified nurse can provide more professional care, oversee preventive measures and respond to the health needs of all pupils, including older children who are not currently eligible for dedicated assistance.

The dispute reached the court as the school year opened on Tuesday, after the ministry declined to suspend the program and failed to answer several of the association’s questions about its implementation. YAHEL is asking the court to freeze the pilot immediately and require the ministry to maintain the existing assistance for every participating child while the case is considered.

It is also seeking a written commitment that no eligible pupil will lose the effective medical and environmental protection currently provided, full details of the program, and an urgent meeting with officials from the Education and Health ministries.

Children with life-threatening food allergies are currently eligible for medical-support aides throughout the formal school day in kindergarten and first grade. Assistance is reduced to three hours a day in second grade and discontinued from third grade.

The aides are not medical professionals. Their role includes monitoring pupils during meals and breaks, helping schools maintain an allergen-safe environment, and responding if an allergic reaction occurs.

YAHEL argued that preventive supervision is the central issue in the case. An aide assigned to an eligible child can monitor food brought into the classroom, help prevent pupils from sharing food and accompany the child during trips and other activities outside school.

A nurse treating the wider school population, the association argues, cannot necessarily remain close enough to prevent exposure before an emergency develops.

Government says decision aims to improve conditions

The ministry maintains that the pilot was designed to improve, rather than reduce, the existing level of care.

In an August 30 response to the association, it said the nurses would work throughout the school rather than remain passively in a clinic. Their responsibilities would include training staff, promoting allergen-safe practices, providing first aid and responding to pupils with allergies, epilepsy, diabetes and other medical conditions.

The ministry said the program had been developed over several months with the Health Ministry and received professional backing from the Israel Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Children requiring invasive medical procedures, including oxygen support or gastrostomy feeding, are not expected to lose their existing assistance under the pilot.

The association’s challenge, however, extends beyond the merits of the model itself. It argues that Education Minister Yoav Kisch’s ministry moved ahead without consulting the parents whose children would be affected, obtaining their consent or providing clear information about the research intended to evaluate the program.

The ministry said in its response that it had acted transparently and held advance “talks” with YAHEL chairwoman Orly Baz. It said the program was explained in detail and that the association had been offered a role in its implementation.

Baz disputed that account in an affidavit attached to the petition. She said only one conversation took place, on the evening of August 17, after the pilot had already been formulated.

According to the association, it was informed that the program might proceed and was told it would be involved if it did. It denies that any meaningful advance consultation took place.

The two accounts have not been independently reconciled.

After receiving the ministry’s response, YAHEL’s attorney asked for the dates and details of the consultations. He also asked whether parents had consented, who would conduct the academic research accompanying the pilot and whether that research had received any required ethical approval.

The ministry responded on Monday by directing him to submit a freedom of information request. The petition was filed later that day against Kisch, the ministry’s director-general, and the ministry itself.

The research timeline has also drawn scrutiny. The ministry said an academic study would accompany the pilot and examine its effectiveness, safety and participants’ satisfaction.

However, the ministry’s public tender to select researchers for the study remains open until October 6, more than a month after the program was scheduled to begin. It remains unclear whether any researcher has been appointed through another arrangement in the meantime.

The case comes amid a steep rise in the number of children receiving medical assistance in the education system.

Knesset Research and Information Center figures show that 10,312 students were eligible for medical-support aides in the 2024-2025 school year, compared with 511 fifteen years earlier. Of those eligible, 8,339 received assistance because of food allergies.

The Education Ministry transferred approximately NIS 635 million for medical-support aides that year, including NIS 523 million for children with food allergies.

The High Court must now decide whether to suspend the pilot while the state responds or allow it to operate while the petition proceeds.

This post was originally published on here. 

Two Arab men convicted of taking part in a violent mob attack on Jews near Jerusalem’s Lions’ Gate in May 2021 were ordered to pay their victims a total of NIS 180,000 in compensation, or NIS 60,000 to each victim, by the Jerusalem Magistrates Court on Monday

The defendants were also ordered to pay an additional NIS 36,000 in attorneys’ fees and legal expenses, bringing the total amount imposed on them to more than NIS 220,000.

The court partially granted the plaintiffs’ claim for damages for pain and suffering resulting from the assault, which it recognized as having been nationally motivated. Judge Eliad Weinshall noted that the two defendants had already undergone criminal proceedings and served prison sentences for their roles in the attack.

One of the defendants, who had previously admitted to his role in the attack, was sentenced by a juvenile court to 20 months in prison, six months of suspended imprisonment and NIS 8,000 in compensation to the victims for carrying out a terrorist act involving attempted aggravated assault causing serious injury, throwing a stone at a means of transportation and intentionally damaging a motor vehicle. Despite admitting to his role, the first defendant argued that he had played only a minor role in the attack, a claim rejected by Weinshall.

The second defendant, who was convicted by the Jerusalem District Court in May 2024, was sentenced to 40 months in prison, eight months of suspended imprisonment, and ordered to pay NIS 8,000 to each victim. He was convicted of carrying out a terrorist act involving assault with intent to cause aggravated injury and intentionally damaging a vehicle with a racist motive.

Attacked while traveling to the Western Wall

In May 2021, the victims were traveling to the Western Wall while wearing kippot (Jewish skullcaps), identifying them as Jewish. When they were stopped in traffic at the Rockefeller Junction, a mob formed and began attacking them, throwing stones at their vehicle.

One of the car’s rear windows was shattered, and the first defendant reportedly attempted to open the vehicle’s door to throw stones inside. The driver was able to reverse in an attempt to escape the attackers, but the mob pursued the vehicle and continued throwing stones. At one point, the attackers pepper-sprayed the vehicle, while another rioter attempted to open the driver’s door.

One of the victims suffered a head injury from the stone-throwing, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a wall. The vehicle became stuck, allowing the attackers to continue their assault. The first defendant then opened the driver’s door and began kicking the victim forcefully as other rioters continued to throw stones at the vehicle.

The defendant also picked up a large stone, estimated to have been approximately 15 centimeters in size, and threw it onto the rear seat of the vehicle, intending to injure one of its occupants.

Police interfered after shots were fired into the air

A police officer who arrived at the scene fired three shots into the air, after which the defendant and the other rioters moved away.

One of the three victims suffered a scalp laceration that required medical treatment under local anesthesia, as well as a hematoma on his right leg. The second suffered a laceration to his upper lip and pain in his right leg, while the third experienced pain and an intense burning sensation in his eyes, legs, and chest.

“The nationalistic aspect underlying the assault must also be taken into account. The plaintiffs were targeted solely because of their Jewish-religious appearance, without any prior relationship between the parties,” Judge Weinshall ruled. “These factors directly affect the intensity of the terror and helplessness inherent in the incident.”

Adv. Chaim Bleicher, who represented one of the plaintiffs, has been contacted by The Jerusalem Post for comment.

This post was originally published on here. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited on Tuesday the Benzion Netanyahu School located in Ramle, which was damaged by an Iranian missile during the last war, as classes start nationwide in Israel.

After the missile strike damaged the school, work began to rehabilitate and renovate the building, with the official inauguration happening just in time for the first day of school. 

Netanyahu, alongside Education Minister Yoav Kisch, visited the school and talked with teaching and administrative staff, as well as the students who attended their first day of class.

Ramle Mayor Michael Vidal also participated in the event.

Some 3 million Israelis go back to school

Some 2.6 million students are expected to begin the 2026-2027 school year in Israel’s schools and kindergartens on Tuesday, including some 180,000 first-graders, as the Education Ministry launches new programs and expands initiatives introduced in recent years.

The ministry is placing particular emphasis on strengthening students’ sense of belonging and resilience, deepening studies of identity and heritage, introducing financial education into the school system, and expanding the use of artificial intelligence in both learning and examinations.

As students return to classrooms, the ministry said it would focus the school year on three areas: belonging and security, identity and roots, and knowledge and tools for coping with a changing world.

“We are opening the year with great responsibility and with a clear direction: to strengthen the sense of belonging and resilience of Israel’s students, deepen identity, values, and heritage, while at the same time giving them the knowledge and tools that will enable them to lead and succeed in a rapidly changing world,” Education Minister Yoav Kisch said.

Avihai Chiim and Yanir Yagna contributed to this report.

This post was originally published on here. 

Kurds in Syria are concerned that changes in the country may erode Kurdish language education that has been common in eastern Syria for more than a decade.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official on Monday warned of demographic changes in the disputed Kurdish-majority city of Khanaqin in eastern Diyala province. According to Rudaw, a Kurdish media outlet, he called the changes a “clear constitutional violation.”

In both countries, Kurdish political parties will need to tackle these issues.

Syrian Kurds adapting to last six months of changes

The issue in Syria relates to changes over the past six months. During the long Syrian civil war, the Kurdish regions of what Kurds call Rojava were largely cut off from Damascus. The local authorities instituted Kurdish language instruction in schools, something that the Assad regime had suppressed. As such, what developed since 2012 was more freedom for Kurds, and a generation of young people was raised with their language being taught in school.

Now, the area of eastern Syria, which had been governed by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) defending it, will be governed by Damascus.

A deal between the SDF and the new Syrian government has led to the Kurdish forces being dissolved. Rudaw media noted that “Kurdish students, parents and teachers rallied in northeast Syria’s Rojava region on Monday against a Syrian government decision to end full Kurdish-medium schooling, arguing it falls short of their demands for language rights.”

The issue at stake is clear: Kurds who have been learning in Kurdish may find advancing in the education system difficult without Arabic language skills, while reducing Kurdish education will be seen as reducing the rights of Kurds.

It’s not a zero-sum game; there are many ways to have language instruction in both Arabic and Kurdish. Kurds are a minority in Syria, perhaps around ten percent of the country’s population. Education appears to be an issue that affects not only the Kurdish region. A dispute over where people from the Druze area of Suwayda are allowed to travel to take national tests has also created a crisis in this area.

The issue is not a simple one. Local people may want locally tailored instruction. However, if they can’t progress to national levels via testing and language, then how will they enter university in Syria or abroad? What the Kurdistan Region of Iraq shows is that one can establish an autonomous system with education tailored for locals, but also create success via universities and avenues for growth for young people. In eastern Syria, this remains to be seen.

North Press Agency in Syria notes that  “Presidential Decree No. (13) of 2026, concerning the cultural and linguistic rights of the Kurds in Syria, has reopened the debate about the future of education in the Kurdish language, amid a dispute between the Syrian government and the educational institutions affiliated with the Autonomous Administration regarding the mechanism for implementing these rights in schools.”

It adds that “while the government is moving towards teaching the Kurdish language as a subject within the official curriculum with two lessons per week, the Kurdish side is demanding that its teaching be expanded to become a language of education alongside Arabic, especially in predominantly Kurdish areas.”

In many ways, the new decree is important. It changes the old Assad-era discriminatory laws that were rooted in a census dating to 1962. The report quotes Dr. Samar Habib, a faculty member at the Higher Institute for Population Research, as saying “she believes that the decree, from the perspective of educational and social sciences, represents a shift from policies of exclusion and forced Arabization to a context of legal recognition and national symbolism, but at the same time she points to a gap between symbolic recognition and educational empowerment.”

It notes that “Habib proposes a three-track educational model, which can be implemented gradually over a period of three to five years, to overcome the limitations of the two-weekly lesson model. She explains that the first path is parallel bilingual education, through teaching science and social studies in Kurdish and Arabic in areas of high concentration, including Hasakah, Qamishli, Afrin and Kobani.”

In contrast, the report also quotes Ibrahim Khalil, a Kurdish writer and linguist residing in Germany. “He adds that teaching two optional classes per week cannot be considered a national gain or a correct step towards solving the Kurdish issue in Syria, but rather, in his opinion, it represents ‘a step in the wrong direction on the path of national assimilation and Arabization of what remains of the Kurds.’” It notes that “Khalil believes that the national solution lies in recognizing the Kurdish language as a second official language, and opening official primary schools in Kurdish areas where instruction is only in Kurdish, with a daily lesson allocated to the Arabic language.”

Another concern in Syria is the issue of official names for towns and areas. This dispute is most clear in Kobani, which has also been called Ayn al Arab. Kobani is the Kurdish name for the city. In “predominantly Kurdish areas, particularly in the east and north of the country, the issue of place names has been linked over the past decades to a broader conflict over language and identity,” North Press notes.

“Most of those areas acquired dual names, one official Arabic name which is the one used in government records, and another Kurdish name used by the residents among themselves.” The concern is that Kurdish names of areas will continue to be “Arabized” in official documents. This was common during the Assad era, as the Assad regime was an Arab nationalist regime, similar to the Saddam regime in Iraq.

Kurds can’t speak their language in government offices

In Iraq, Kurds continue to struggle for their rights. “A blacksmith in the Kurdish-majority city of Khanaqin in the eastern Diyala province was arrested Monday over what his family says was his addition of Kurdish to his shop’s billboard – an incident that has further stoked tensions in a region already fraught with demographic manipulation concerns,” Rudaw noted this week.

According to the KRG official, speaking to Rudaw, “Kurdish-speaking residents of Khanaqin are being prevented from using Kurdish in government offices, calling it “’a dangerous indicator.’ He further noted that ‘the issue is not entirely on Baghdad’s shoulders – we share in it, too,’ criticizing Kurdish parties representing Khanaqin in federal institutions for falling short.”

As Kurds demonstrate in Rojava for their language rights, in Khanaqin in Iraq the issue relates to demographics. There are disputed areas between the KRG and Baghdad, including Khanaqin and parts of Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Salahaddin provinces. The Kurds have long been concerned about attempts to change the demographics in these regions, often by government authorities trying to increase the number of Arabs in the regions.

This demographic change goes back to the Saddam era and attempts at mass movement of people and even collectivizing areas into various villages while moving Bedouin and other tribes into areas to link them more closely with Baghdad.

Rudaw says that Kurds have put off a planned mass demonstration in Khanaqin. However, there have been “arrest warrants against activists, political figures, and youths who had intended to take part.” 

This post was originally published on here. 

On August 7, 2026, Colombia’s patriotic new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, was officially inaugurated, marking a monumental turning point in South American geopolitics. His rise to power represents a decisive rejection of the Left-Islamist alliance that has increasingly threatened the region. For nations fighting these same dark forces globally, including the Iranian people fighting for their freedom, de la Espriella’s victory is seen as a shared triumph against a common adversary. 

To understand the current stakes, one must look back to 2002. When Álvaro Uribe became president, Colombia was on the brink of collapse. Except for a few major cities, the vast areas of the country were controlled by Marxist narco-terrorists, most notably the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The country was plagued by rampant violence, mass kidnappings, and economic paralysis. 

Recognizing the scale of the threat, Uribe sought strategic assistance from Israel to modernize the Colombian military, intelligence apparatus, and counterterrorism capabilities. Armed with Israeli technology, training, and tactical intelligence, the Colombian armed forces launched an aggressive campaign that crushed the armed Marxists within eight years. Uribe’s iron-fist approach restored the rule of law, made Colombia dramatically safer, and laid the foundation for robust economic growth. 

The Petro interregnum: The rise of the Left-Islamist alliance 

In 2022, this progress was severely disrupted when Gustavo Petro, a former Marxist M-19 guerrilla, assumed the presidency. Petro replaced the rule of law with a policy of appeasement, pushing for continuous negotiations with armed narco-terrorists rather than enforcing state authority. Predictably, this approach backfired, and the country rapidly became unsafe again as criminal cartels and ideological militants reclaimed lost territory. 

Beyond domestic security failures, Petro’s administration embodied the typical Marxist-Islamist alliance. His foreign policy was defined by fierce anti-Israel rhetoric, explicit support for radical Islamist groups, and a heavy reliance on the so-called Palestinian cause as an ideological cover.

Following the election of right-wing governments in Ecuador and Bolivia, and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, Petro’s Colombia stood as one of the last major footholds for the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Hezbollah network in South America. 

The strategic value of Israeli military and counterterrorism technology 

With de la Espriella now in office, the Colombian army and police are poised to regain the upper hand. Fighting entrenched Marxist narco-terrorists deep within the dense, hostile jungles of Colombia requires specialized capabilities. The new administration would benefit enormously from leveraging Israel’s battle-tested military hardware, signals intelligence, drone surveillance, and jungle warfare counterterrorism technology to root out these cartels from their rural strongholds.

De la Espriella has already demonstrated a keen willingness to assert Colombia’s presence on the international stage. In one of his very first international policy actions, he officially recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara. 

This move directly connects Colombia to the broader geopolitical alignment established by the Abraham Accords. Morocco, a key signatory of the accords, has successfully utilized Israeli military technology to secure the Western Sahara and tame the Polisario Front militants. 

Crucially, the Polisario Front is directly supported by the central bank of global terrorism: the Islamic Republic of Iran. By aligning with Morocco and Israel, Colombia is actively participating in a global containment strategy against Iranian state-sponsored asymmetric warfare. 

True to his campaign promises, de la Espriella is systematically undoing the diplomatic damage of the Petro era. He has promised the immediate resumption of full diplomatic relations with Israel, underlined by a landmark commitment to move the Colombian Embassy to Jerusalem.

The highly prominent position granted to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar at de la Espriella’s inauguration serves as undeniable evidence of this renewed, unshakable alliance. Shortly after his inauguration, de la Espriella’s government took a historic step by recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, further underscoring its commitment to rebuilding a close and strategic alliance with Israel. 

The Iranian connection and shared victory 

The geopolitical alignment under de la Espriella has resonated deeply with Iranians. For decades, substantial evidence has highlighted the close coordination between the Islamic Republic of Iran, its proxy Hezbollah, and major drug cartels in South America to fund transnational terror networks. 

The Iranian people, led by Prince Reza Pahlavi, are actively engaged in a fierce struggle against these exact same dark forces, the Left-Islamist alliance, that ruined Iran after the 1979 revolution.

Because the security of South America is directly tethered to the containment of Tehran’s proxy networks, freedom-loving Iranians view de la Espriella’s victory as their own. Cutting illicit financial networks in the jungles of Colombia can be a direct blow to the survival of the regime in Tehran. 

This profound shift in Bogotá is warmly welcomed by Pahlavi, who views the dismantling of the Left-Islamist nexus as a crucial victory for global security. For decades, the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people have been obstructed by the same extremist doctrines that have destabilized parts of Latin America. The restoration of the rule of law in Colombia under de la Espriella sends a powerful signal to hostile networks worldwide. 

As the Iranians continue their struggle against tyranny, they welcome the rise of strong, principled leadership in Colombia and look forward to fostering robust bilateral ties with the new administration.

The writer is communications director to Prince Reza Pahlavi, and an Iranian journalist who previously served as editor-in-chief of news at Manoto TV, a UK-based Persian-language television network.

This post was originally published on here. 

Teaching staff working in border communities will receive a NIS 60,000 grant as classes start nationwide on Tuesday, with the grant being part of a plan to push for more educators to move towards these areas, which were among the most hurt by the almost three years of war.

The program, formulated by the Tnufa Directorate for the North, the Education Ministry, and the Finance Ministry, is part of the government’s push to rehabilitate northern Israel.

The grant is intended for teaching staff, both teachers and administrators, working in communities located up to 9km from the northern border, with the personnel being allowed to live up to 30km from the border in order to apply for the grant.

Unique learning environment

Along with the release, two educators currently working in border communities shared their experiences of working in this area.

Ofra Erlich, who is originally from Tel Aviv and decided to move to Metula to work as a first- and second-grade teacher at Hanadiv School, explained that her main objective is to “establish something anew in the wake of the war, in the wake of the security situation, and mainly to give some kind of horizon and hope to these children, who didn’t choose anything from the situation they found themselves in.”

“In Tel Aviv, kids who hear ‘Lebanon’ think it’s some kind of monster. So in Metula, kids look at Lebanon and see clouds. That’s kind of my hope – to remind them that this war is something that, in the end, doesn’t have the same power in their eyes,” she explained about why she chose to move to Metula.

“We have 14 children in the class; it’s the dream of every teacher, and also of every child and parent,” she said. “And yet, first of all, we give these children an anchor. Before all the pedagogy, we come to give an anchor and hope to the children. Before we learn the alphabet – first of all, let’s be here, together.”

Yuval Sharon, who moved from her homeland to Shlomi to work as a kindergarten teacher focused on special education, said that moving to a border settlement is not a given, mainly because of the distance from home and the different security situation in these areas.

 “I think it’s very important because not everyone wants to move there; it’s not easy. It’s living in a different reality than what I’m used to,” she said about the importance of going to northern Israeli areas to work as an educator.

What are the program’s main objectives?

The government said it will place special emphasis on teachers in shortage subjects, including mathematics, English, computers, physics, biology, chemistry, technological and therapeutic subjects, as well as kindergarten teachers and educational counseling.

“Within this framework, we are working together with the Education Ministry with the aim of encouraging the absorption of new teachers who move to live in the north and join the education system in the Tnufa region settlements and provide a response to the boys and girls of the Galilee,” said Aviad Friedman, Head of the Tnufa North and Resurgence Directorate.

The outline is groundbreaking and is one of the drivers of growth in the communities along the conflict line. It allows both to attract new teaching staff and to ensure the persistence of teaching staff in the area,” added Dr. Orna Simhon, director of the Northern District at the Education Ministry. 

This post was originally published on here. 

After years of war, Israel is facing the largest rehabilitation effort in its history, and Friends of Irgun Nechei Zahal, or Beit Halochem USA, announced on Tuesday that it will be renamed Warriors of Israel after 75 years of experience in providing services for Israel’s wounded soldiers. 

The organization is the official US branch of Zahal Disabled Veterans Organization (ZVDO), a non-profit organization established after the War of Independence with the goal of rehabilitating and supporting wounded soldiers.

Warriors of Israel stated in a press release that its mission boils down to a promise: “Their sacrifice. Our responsibility, a commitment to stand behind Israel’s wounded warriors and their families for every step of the path ahead.”

Referring to the organization’s choice to change its name, Sam Zussman, Chair of the Board of Warriors of Israel, said, “The name Warriors of Israel reflects the strength and courage of those we stand by. Thousands are beginning a recovery journey that will last a lifetime. Our responsibility is equally enduring: to ensure every wounded warrior can live with dignity, independence, and purpose. That is the promise carried by our new name.”

According to the organization, more than 26,000 soldiers have been wounded since the start of the war on October 7, 2023. ZDVO and Beit Halochem provide rehabilitation and community services to around 80,000 wounded soldiers.

Soldiers who face physical injuries, PTSD, anxiety, depression need support

According to the press release, soldiers have faced “physical injuries, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other invisible wounds,” and the Defense Ministry “estimates that more than 90,000 wounded warriors will require lifelong rehabilitation and support.”

Over the past 10 years, over 30,000 American supporters have contributed to Warriors of Israel with resources to meet the quickly growing needs of Israel’s wounded soldiers and their families.

Beit Halochem hosts five rehabilitation centers across Israel, where “Wounded warriors regain strength and independence through physical rehabilitation, specialized mental health care, adaptive sports, education and career development, peer connection, and programs that support their spouses and children.”

More than rehabilitation: Community

The press release contends that Beit Halochem offers much more than rehabilitation. It offers a community for people wounded in war to progress in life alongside people who share a journey and understand one another’s struggles. 

“Those beginning rehabilitation today draw strength, guidance, and mentorship from those who have walked the same path for decades,” the statement reads.

“Today’s wounded warriors are younger than ever before, and many are living with invisible wounds alongside physical injuries,” said Iris Reff Ronen, CEO of Warriors of Israel. “Their recovery will not be measured in weeks or months, but over a lifetime. We must invest in the opportunities, resources, and community that empower and enable wounded warriors and their families to rebuild their lives and claim the future they have earned.”

Warriors of Israel calls on Americans to take part in helping to ensure that soldiers who have sacrificed a part of themselves in defense of their country have support in rebuilding their lives.

Warriors of Israel is part of a global network of 15 official Friends organizations supporting Israel’s wounded warriors. Learn more: www.warriorsofisrael.org

This post was originally published on here. 

An ex-street gang leader accused of orchestrating the drive-by shooting death of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur three decades ago in Las Vegas was convicted of murder on Monday for his role in a long-unsolved crime that silenced one of rap music’s most influential voices.

A jury in Clark County, Nevada, deliberated for nearly three hours before finding Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, guilty of a single count of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon, capping an 11-day trial in a downtown Las Vegas courtroom. Davis will face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole at his sentencing on October 13.

Davis told the judge “he plans to appeal this matter.” Several people in the gallery wiped away tears and hugged a prosecutor as the court adjourned.

Representatives of the Clark County District Attorney’s Office and Davis’ lawyer did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Binu Palal of the Clark County District Attorney’s Office told jurors that under the code of respect in street gangs, Davis could not let the beating of his nephew slide.

“So what did he do? He acquired a firearm, got his group together, and went hunting for Mr. Shakur,” Palal said.

Police say they long suspected Davis but did not have enough evidence to charge him until he went public with his story in media appearances and a memoir, which, along with tapes of his secret meetings with investigators, make up most of the prosecution’s case.

 Davis lawyer calls case fiction not fact

Davis’ lawyer Michael Sanft told jurors during his closing argument that his client’s story could not be corroborated by evidence and should not be trusted. He also said the case was tainted by police corruption, mismanagement and missing files.

“You’re reading a book that is fiction and not fact, but the state wants you to believe that this is somehow a confession,” Sanft said, referring to Davis’ 2019 memoir “Compton Street Legend.”

Over the past two weeks, prosecutors played hours of recordings for jurors in which Davis said he was enraged after Shakur and his entourage beat up Davis’ nephew.

Davis and three other men, including his nephew, went looking for Shakur and his record executive Marion “Suge” Knight in a white Cadillac on the night of the beating, he told police during an unrelated investigation. Davis said he passed a gun to the backseat, and when they found Knight and Shakur’s car, one of the two men in the back opened fire.

Prosecutors have not named the shooter

Prosecutors have not named the shooter, and the three other men in the car have since died. Under Nevada law, Davis can be charged with murder even if he did not pull the trigger.

Davis was a leader of the South Side Compton Crips, a Los Angeles-area street gang that feuded with rival gang Mob Piru, which was associated with Shakur and his record label Death Row Records.

Shakur’s 1996 killing became a seminal moment in rap history and heightened hip-hop culture’s violent image during “gangsta” rap’s heyday, an era defined by feuding between East and West Coast artists.

This post was originally published on here. 

Some 2.6 million students are expected to begin the 2026-2027 school year in Israel’s schools and kindergartens on Tuesday, including some 180,000 first-graders, as the Education Ministry launches new programs and expands initiatives introduced in recent years.

The ministry is placing particular emphasis on strengthening students’ sense of belonging and resilience, deepening studies of identity and heritage, introducing financial education into the school system, and expanding the use of artificial intelligence in both learning and examinations.

As students return to classrooms, the ministry said it would focus the school year on three areas: belonging and security, identity and roots, and knowledge and tools for coping with a changing world.

“We are opening the year with great responsibility and with a clear direction: to strengthen the sense of belonging and resilience of Israel’s students, deepen identity, values, and heritage, while at the same time giving them the knowledge and tools that will enable them to lead and succeed in a rapidly changing world,” Education Minister Yoav Kisch said.

First week to focus on belonging, resilience, preventing ostracism

During the first week of school, the Education Ministry plans to focus on strengthening social ties and trust among students and between students and teaching staff.

Alongside reacquainting students with their schools and classrooms, staff will be asked to conduct emotional and social discussions, identify students’ needs, and strengthen both individual and group resilience.

Special emphasis will be placed on preventing violence, social rejection, and ostracism, both in physical spaces and online. The ministry said the initiative is based on the view that academic achievement cannot be separated from a student’s social and emotional condition, and that a sense of security and belonging is a prerequisite for learning and perseverance.

The school system’s annual theme will be “Roots of AMI: Future, Heritage and Entrepreneurship,” and will run from kindergarten through 12th grade. Through the program, the ministry aims to connect identity and heritage with initiative, leadership, personal responsibility, and social involvement.

The “Heritage Paths” field of study will also be expanded this year to Druze elementary schools and to seventh-grade classes in the state and state-religious education systems.

Preparing students for adulthood and the workforce with financial education

One of the most prominent innovations in the 2026-2027 school year will be the introduction of financial education as a subject for the first time.

In its initial phase, the subject will be taught in ninth grade and will be expanded to 10th grade beginning next school year.

According to the ministry, the program is intended to provide students with knowledge and tools for independent financial management, develop critical thinking about financial issues, and prepare them for adulthood and the workforce. In addition to financial knowledge, the program is also expected to address personal, social, and civic responsibility.

“This year we will continue to connect roots with the future: We will expand STEM and artificial intelligence studies, introduce financial education for the first time, and continue to promote innovative and personalized learning,” Kisch said.

Artificial intelligence will play an even larger role in classrooms this year.

As part of the expansion of the “Realistic Israel” reform, intended to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, the 720 program will expand to adapt teaching and assessment methods to the AI era.

This year, the program will run in English studies in all middle schools and will also expand to about 140 schools in STEM fields.

More than 12,000 English, science, and technology teachers are expected to undergo training in artificial intelligence. Students will also receive dedicated training.

Eighth- and ninth-grade students will take part in a 20-hour program using personalized AI-based learning systems. Among other things, they are expected to learn how to use artificial intelligence thoughtfully and creatively, develop critical thinking, identify false information, and become familiar with the ethical issues involved in the use of the technology.

The change will not be limited to classroom instruction. AI tools will be incorporated into matriculation assignments in more than 10 STEM study tracks this year.

According to the Education Ministry, the move is intended to adapt assessment methods to the growing use of artificial intelligence in academia and the research world.

At the same time, 27 schools across the country, from Dimona to Majdal Shams, will open a dedicated artificial intelligence sciences track. Graduates of the program will be eligible for a technological certification.

“Behind the opening of the school year is an entire system that has worked in recent months to bring the schools and kindergartens to this moment. Our mission continues every day, in supporting the teams and ensuring that policy and resources reach the classroom and every student,” Education Ministry Director-General Meir Shimoni said.

The Education Ministry has set a target of returning Israel to the top 10 in the international Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study examinations by 2029. Israeli students are expected to take the tests this year for the first time since the reform began.

“We are opening the school year with an approach that connects roots with the future: a foundation of values and a sense of belonging alongside innovative learning, knowledge, and skills for a changing world. The goal is to give every student the tools to develop, create, and lead,” Ina Zaltzman, senior deputy director-general and head of the ministry’s Pedagogical Administration, added.

What about the Gaza border communities?

The school year will open in the Tekuma region with 22,233 students across the area’s five local authorities: the city of Sderot and the Eshkol, Hof Ashkelon, Sdot Negev, and Sha’ar HaNegev regional councils.

The figure represents an increase of approximately 9% compared with the period before October 7, 2023, amounting to an additional 1,802 students.

The growth in the education system comes as communities in the region continue returning to their homes.

During the summer months, residents began returning to Kibbutz Kissufim, where more than 95% of residents have returned so far. The communities of Holit and Kfar Aza have also returned, as have teenage students from Kibbutz Be’eri, who resumed their studies in the Eshkol Regional Council area.

The continued return to these communities, together with the rise in the number of students in the region’s local authorities compared with the previous school year, is another indication of the process taking place in the Tekuma region, from rehabilitation and returning home to renewed stability and growth.

Alongside the increase in the number of students and the continued return of communities to their homes, the Tekuma Administration is continuing its efforts in 2026 to strengthen the education system as a central pillar of community resilience and regional growth.

During the year, the administration is advancing eight major education projects with a combined budget of NIS 364 million.

The investment focuses on developing educational excellence, expanding holistic services, and implementing supportive tools to strengthen stability and the quality of education while advancing students throughout the region.

The plan places special emphasis on strengthening English and technology studies, recruiting and retaining high-quality personnel, and developing a pipeline of future education system managers.

The measures are part of an effort to create conditions for the region’s long-term growth, retain the existing population, and attract new families to the area.

Among the main investments in 2026 are NIS 184 million for the “Tekuma Education Basket,” which allows local authorities to advance educational responses according to local needs; NIS 103 million for additional education facilities; and NIS 54 million to support informal education programs.

Alongside investments in infrastructure and educational services, the plan emphasizes developing educational excellence and expanding opportunities for students, strengthening English and technology studies, recruiting and retaining high-quality personnel, and building a pipeline of future administrators.

These measures are intended not only to strengthen the existing education system, but also to create conditions that will support the region’s long-term growth, retain its population, and attract new families.

“The increase in the number of students in all the region’s local authorities compared with last year is far more than a numerical figure. It reflects the return home, the strengthening of communities, and the transition of the Tekuma region from rehabilitation to growth,” Tekuma Administration head Aviad Friedman said.

“The education system is one of the most important anchors in building the future of the region, and therefore we are investing in it not only to address today’s needs, but with a view years ahead. Our goal is for the children of the region to receive an excellent education here, for families to choose to continue building their lives here, and for the region’s communities to continue growing and becoming stronger. That is our mission, and that is the renewal we are working to achieve.”

This post was originally published on here. 

In honor of Israel’s new school year beginning on September 1, the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) Photo Archive has unveiled five rare photographs showing what Israeli classrooms looked like throughout the past century, with images spanning from 1925 to 1963.

The oldest photograph shows what it was like to study in the moshav Kfar Hasidim in August 1925, nearly 20 years before the founding of the state of Israel. With no traditional classroom, the children gathered beneath the shade of a tree to listen to their teacher.

Fifteen years later, a photograph from 1940 depicts the library of the Spitzer Girls School in Jerusalem, showing a range of girls reading together, while a photo taken in Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek in 1944 shows a young boys’ school where the students appear to be practicing their penmanship.

The final two photos are from 1961 and 1963. The first shows a student from Tzur Hadassah solving a math problem on a chalkboard, while the second, taken in Jerusalem, shows a crowded classroom of children excitedly opening and reading letters. 

Showcasing how students learned in a time before smartphones

The photographs show how children learned before modern technology, whiteboards, and even before they had classrooms.

“These photographs allow us to step for a moment into the classrooms of the past and see not only how children learned, but also what the society being built here looked like,” Efrat Sinai, Director of KKL-JNF, said. 

“Through the blackboard, the books, the desks, and even the lesson held beneath a tree, they reveal the deep connection between education, community, and a love of the land. It is a privilege to preserve these moments and share them with the public, especially as a new school year begins.”

This post was originally published on here. 

A woman stabbed two people in Times Square on Monday, killing one, before being tasered by NYPD officers.

The alleged attacker, identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, was also shot by police during the confrontation and later died at Bellevue Hospital, according to The New York Times.

The attack occurred shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Seventh Avenue in Times Square. Cisneros allegedly stabbed a 32-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man.

Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead. The man remained hospitalized in stable condition.

NYPD officers confront knife-wielding attacker

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers confronted Cisneros near West 43rd Street, where she was holding two knives.

Officers attempted for several minutes to persuade Cisneros to drop the weapons, but she refused, according to the Times. Tisch said Cisneros told police, “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.”

Two officers then deployed Tasers before Cisneros charged toward police, at which point officers opened fire, according to the report.

Video footage of the confrontation showed Cisneros holding a knife in each hand as officers surrounded her. Tasers were deployed before she appeared to charge toward officers and shots were fired.

🚨 BREAKING: Shots fired in the Times Square area. Initial reports say it may have stemmed from someone allegedly going around stabbing people. Heavy NYPD response. Developing.

— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) August 31, 2026

Mamdani thanks NYPD officers

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the attack alongside NYPD officials on Monday, saying officers in the area “responded immediately, deploying a Taser and discharging their firearms.”

“I’m deeply saddened to report that one of the victims has passed away, as has the alleged perpetrator,” Mamdani said. “The second victim is currently in the hospital in stable condition.”

“I ask New Yorkers to join me in holding the victim in our thoughts and wishing them a full recovery,” he added.

BREAKING: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addresses the deadly Times Square stabbing, saying a woman carrying multiple knives stabbed two people before responding NYPD officers deployed a Taser and opened fire.

“I want to thank the NYPD officers who stepped in and prevented a… pic.twitter.com/E8kfwUL5pa

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 1, 2026

Mamdani thanked the NYPD officers who responded, saying they “stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse.”

“This is what the men and women of this department do every single day to keep our city safe,” he said.

The mayor said an internal investigation would be conducted and that body-worn camera footage would be released to the public.

Tisch said Cisneros lived in Queens and that authorities had reason to believe she had a history of mental illness, according to the Times.

This post was originally published on here. 

A recent spate of bomb attacks has swept across Mexico, from car bombs to drones rigged with explosives, exposing an escalation in cartel violence that local authorities say has intensified over the past three years.

The latest incident occurred on Sunday, when a suspected car bomb ripped through the central Mexican state of Zacatecas, injuring at least 11 people, including two police officers, while causing extensive damage to about 40 buildings, the state’s governor, David Monreal, said on Monday.

The vehicle was abandoned outside the police headquarters in Ojocaliente, central Zacatecas.

Images on social media showed columns of fire and people, including children, running to escape the flames. Reuters was unable to verify the authenticity of the footage.

Initial reports suggest the attack was carried out by a criminal group in retaliation for the arrest of one of its members on Saturday, Monreal said at a press conference.

Organized crime bombing attacks on the rise in Zacatecas 

Sunday’s explosion follows nearly a dozen similar incidents, some carried out using “mini drones” loaded with explosives, or landmines, and points to an evolution in the operations of criminal groups, Monreal said.

Such attacks have been on the rise in Zacatecas in recent years, the state’s security head, Arturo Medina, said on Monday.

In 2024, just one such incident was registered, followed by six in 2025, with 10 so far this year, Medina said.

Medina did not specify the number of victims from these attacks.

“Organized crime is evolving; I don’t understand why people aren’t grasping the full extent of what’s happening in the country,” Monreal said.

Other states plagued by violence, including Michoacan, have seen similar attacks where criminal groups have used explosives to target security facilities, communities, or law enforcement.

Military personnel have been killed in these incidents. The Mexican central government has not commented on the issue.

This post was originally published on here. 

At least seven religious soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion were sent to military prison after refusing to board a Namer armored personnel carrier with a female paramedic during an operation in Gaza.

The soldiers argued that the cramped conditions inside the Namer violated the IDF’s Joint Service Order and understandings reached with religious-Zionist yeshivot. The IDF said religious soldiers are entitled to carry out operational activity in a gender-segregated framework, except in exceptional cases, and that the mission was canceled because of the refusal.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich backed the soldiers, saying they had insisted on their “right and duty” to serve while preserving their faith. “As the leader of religious Zionism,” he said, he could not sit idly by and would demand answers from the IDF.

The IDF also has questions to answer.

Religious-Zionist soldiers have paid a heavy price since the October 7 massacre. Hesder students and graduates have filled combat units and reserve units.

The army has to take their religious commitments seriously and honor the Joint Service Order and agreements with the yeshivot whose students serve in combat.

Integrating must allow one sector to serve alongside another, without expense

Integrating women must allow one sector to serve alongside another without coming at its expense, Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said in June. The army should examine whether commanders respected the framework promised to religious soldiers and whether the female paramedic’s presence inside the Namer met the order’s exceptional-circumstances standard.

War wrecks carefully drawn arrangements. The October 7 massacre showed exactly what that means.

Col. Shemer Raviv, who at the time was commander of the Paran Brigade, came from the religious-Zionist world and studied at the Otzem Pre-military Torah Academy, founded in Atzmona by Rabbi Rafi Peretz. Raviv has described himself as a man of faith.

On October 7, his force encountered dozens of terrorists near Yated. A tank commanded by a woman reached the battle. Raviv climbed inside, joined the female crew and directed its fire. He later said he had fought alongside women in extremely difficult encounters and had seen female soldiers perform flawlessly.

That same day, female tank crews fought at Holit and Sufa, while male and female combat medics treated casualties under fire. During the war, female paramedics entered Gaza with male combat units. A female paramedic also spent a month in a Namer with observant soldiers after a rabbi ruled that saving lives permitted it.

These examples show that religious observance and mixed-gender service have already collided under the harshest conditions and been resolved.

When a soldier is bleeding in Gaza, nobody asks whether the medic is a man or a woman.

When mission leaves no alternative, the commander decides

Religious soldiers should receive the accommodations they were promised whenever the mission allows it. The army should make every reasonable effort to prevent unnecessary clashes over religious observance. When the mission leaves no realistic alternative, the commander gives the order and soldiers follow it.

Soldiers can raise religious objections. Commanders should listen and find a practical solution whenever one exists. The army’s rabbis should help resolve disputes before they explode inside an APC. The rules also need to be clear enough so that soldiers do not learn what they mean while already heading into Gaza.

Smotrich went too far

Civilian rabbis do not command IDF units. Neither do politicians.

This is where Smotrich went too far.

As a cabinet minister, he has every right to demand an explanation from the IDF and ask whether it broke commitments made to religious soldiers. Giving political backing to soldiers after they refused an operational order sends another message: Refuse first, and political protection may follow.

Apply that principle throughout the army: A religious soldier follows his rabbi; a secular reservist follows his political conscience; another soldier listens to an activist group; every community gets its own veto.

No army can operate that way.

Israel wants more religious soldiers in uniform, including haredim who distrust the military’s willingness to protect their way of life, while women are serving in more combat and medical roles.

That reality demands clear rules, common sense, and commanders who know the soldiers they lead.

The IDF should keep its promises to religious soldiers and respect the women who serve beside them. When an operational order is given, there must be no doubt about who commands the army.

Common sense, mutual trust, and clear lines of authority can make this work. Without them, the IDF risks losing some of its most committed religious soldiers while making haredi recruitment even more difficult than it already is.

This post was originally published on here. 

A grand jury in North Carolina on Monday indicted a 17-year-old girl on suspicion of aiding and abetting the May 18 shooting that killed three people at a mosque in San Diego by recording and disseminating a live video of the attack.

Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill told a press conference that officials decided to bring state charges because in North Carolina the girl can be tried as an adult. She faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted in North Carolina, while federal charges could result in a three- or four-year sentence.

The three men who died in the attack were credited with thwarting more violence at a time when 140 children were at the mosque’s school. The victims, security guard Amin Abdullah, 51, caretaker Mansour Kaziha, 78, and Nadir Awad, 57, the husband of a teacher at the Islamic Center of San Diego, were hailed as heroes at a memorial service.

The assailants, Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17, killed themselves in their vehicle upon fleeing the scene. Investigators say they also intended to attack a Jewish temple and a predominantly African American high school.

Sarah Lindsey Santiago was arrested last week. The indictment returned on Monday accused her of three counts of murder and one count of conspiracy.

Reuters could not identify any attorney for Santiago.

Suspect agreed to livestream mosque shooting, release manifesto

O’Neill said a person may be guilty of aiding and abetting if he or she shares the same criminal intent as the perpetrator and fails to render aid during the crime, even if not physically present.

Before the attack, Santiago agreed to livestream it, disseminate the recording publicly, and then release the manifesto authored by the attackers to justify the attack, O’Neill’s office said in a press release.

O’Neill described the suspects as part of an “underground subculture” that radicalizes people to commit horrific crimes.

“It’s an echo chamber of intense hate against different cultures and religions. Cain and Vazquez, by what is contained in their manifesto, seem to hate everyone, regardless of skin color, politics, religion, or ethnicity, and this underground subculture of hate – they listen to each other, they talk to each other in encoded platforms,” O’Neill said.

Investigators determined that three people watched a livestream of the attack, O’Neill said. At first they only knew one of them was a woman in the Eastern time zone but later were able to identify Santiago. He declined to say whether the other two people who were watching were also identified or whether they too would face charges.

This post was originally published on here. 

The top US general said the military has no plans to send federal military personnel or National Guard troops to polling places during this year’s midterm elections.

In a letter to US Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said election administration and security remain the responsibility of state and local officials.

Caine’s letter, which was obtained by Reuters, was sent in response to a request from Slotkin, who had sought assurances from senior military leaders, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, that the Trump administration would not interfere in the November elections.

While stressing that no such deployment is planned, Caine said the military has no plans to seize ballots, voting machines or other election-related material.

“I have neither received nor anticipate receiving any unlawful order concerning the role of the Joint Force in the upcoming November 2026 midterm elections,” Caine wrote.

The letter was received August 28, according to an official.

Democrats concerned Trump administration could deploy troops during midterms

Millions of Americans are due to vote on November 3 in congressional, gubernatorial, and local elections.

Democrats, including Slotkin, have raised concerns that the Trump administration could seek to use troops or other armed federal personnel near polling places.

Those concerns were fueled in part by comments Trump made in May when, asked whether he would send National Guard troops or Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to voting locations, he said he would “do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections.”

Federal law generally prohibits the deployment of US troops at polling places or their use in overseeing elections, reflecting long-standing restrictions on military involvement in the electoral process.

This post was originally published on here.