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Swords of Iron: sources IIIIIIII (view source)
Revision as of 05:14, December 18, 2025
, 05:14, December 18, 2025→Dec 14, 2025+
Hero mum who acted as a human shield to protect stranger's little girl during Bondi Beach terror attack reunites with her grateful parents.
By Antoinette Milienos, News Reporter, Australia.
Published: 23:21 EST, 15 December 2025 | Updated: 02:35 EST, 16 December 2025
A pregnant mum who used her body as a human shield to protect a three-year-old girl during the Bondi Beach terror attack has been thanked by her grateful parents.
The deadly attack at the iconic beach unfolded as hundreds gathered for the Chanukah by the Sea event just before 7pm on Sunday.
Naveed Akram, 24, and his 50-year-old father Sajid are alleged to have opened fire with military-grade weapons on hundreds of beachgoers.
Vanessa had been watching her three-year-old daughter Gigi dance when suddenly 'she was gone'.
After calling her husband Wayne to check if Gigi was with him, she soon realised the toddler was missing and 'absolute panic' set in.
Jess, who is five months pregnant, was also searching for her son after they became separated when she spotted Gigi crying for her parents.
Jess had been at Bondi Beach celebrating Hanukkah with her mum, mother-in-law, husband and their three-year-old son and 18-month-old baby.
While looking for her son, Jess spotted Gigi in an open area and ran towards her, grabbed her and lay on top, using her body as a human shield.
([https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/12/16/02/104758701-15387071-image-m-26_1765852044663.jpg].
Parents Vanessa and Wayne (right) have met with pregnant mother-of-two, Jess (left), after she used her body to shield their three-year-old daughter Gigi during the chaos in Bondi).
([https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/12/16/02/104758809-15387071-image-a-27_1765852106737.jpg].
The mothers broke down in tears and embraced after Vanessa thanked Jess for saving her little girl's life, claiming the heroic mother ran towards the bullets to protect her baby girl)
'We stayed still, I laid on top of her and we spoke about how we were going to stay still and calm, and quiet,' she told Sky News.
As bullets rang out around them, Jess comforted Gigi, saying: 'I got you, we are going to stay here and be nice and safe and no one is going to hurt us.'
([https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/12/16/04/104758699-15387071-Footage_from_the_scene_showed_Jess_laying_on_top_of_Gigi_as_bloo-a-59_1765857734154.jpg]
Footage from the scene showed Jess laying on top of Gigi as blood dripped down her forehead and bullets rang out around them).
Video showed Jess, with blood dripping down her forehead, shielding a scared Gigi who asked if they could hide, to which she replied: 'Yes, we can hide baby girl.'
Jess protected Gigi until the ordeal came to an end, with Wayne finding the heroic mother still lying on top of his daughter.
Both Jess and Vanessa broke down in tears during an emotional reunion on Tuesday.
The family embraced Jess and thanked her for saving their little girl.
'Everyone ran for their lives, you ran towards the bullets, to my baby girl. I know she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for [Jess],' Vanessa said.
'What three-year-old knows to duck and take cover?'
Jess said a woman had been fatally shot less than two metres from where she had been lying on the ground with Gigi.
She said she felt 'very afraid' but protecting Gigi was the only thing she could do as she could not find her own son.
'I'm just a mum and I did what mums do. I saw a little girl and she needed help and I tried to do what I could. I couldn't help everyone,' Jess said.
After the shooting stopped, Jess found her son alive and well at the playground with his grandmother.
The death toll has risen to 16 people including gunman Sajid Akram, while a further 42 people, including four children, were injured and taken to hospital.
The victims include 10-year-old girl Matilda, prominent Sydney Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Rabbi Yakkov Levitan, 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, beloved husband and father Tibor Weitzen, an assistant at a synagogue Reuven Morrison, beloved rugby volunteer and photographer Peter Meagher and 27-year-old French Jewish national Dan Elkayam.
([https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/12/16/02/104758707-15387071-image-a-32_1765852211389.jpg].
Hundreds have flocked to pay tribute to the 15 innocent people who were killed and the dozens injured in the attack (pictured, memorial outside the Bondi Beach Pavilion)
[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15387071/hero-mum-little-girl-protect-bondi-beach-attack.html DailyMail]
____
How did world leaders react to the Sydney Hanukkah massacre?
A Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) AI analysis finds world leaders largely recognized the significance of the Bondi Beach shooting, but Australia's PM & Muslim nations' reactions were disappointing.
Israel National News.
Dec 16, 2025, 4:13 PM (GMT+2)
The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) used advanced artificial-intelligence tools to examine the immediate reactions of world leaders and governments to the murder of 15 people in the shooting attack against the Jewish community in Sydney during a Hanukkah event on December 14, 2025.
The analysis reviewed the first official responses to the attack in 25 major countries worldwide, including Western countries, Asian countries, and Muslim and Arab states. The material examined included official statements by government spokespersons, public declarations, and social media posts immediately after the attack. In cases where no statement was issued by a head of state, the analysis examined statements released at a lower governmental level, such as diplomats or foreign affairs officials.
Each response was weighted according to several parameters, including whether it explicitly stated that the attack targeted Jews, that it occurred on Hanukkah, and whether it used terms connected to terrorism or antisemitism. Mentions of Israel or Israelis, and the level of the official issuing the statement were also factored in. Statements delivered by heads of state received greater weight than general announcements released by foreign ministries. The full ranking is attached for reference.
Keyword analysis found that “terrorism” was the most frequently used term, followed by “antisemitism” and “Jews.”
The findings show that the highest scores were recorded in Argentina and Canada. In both cases, the nation’s leaders clearly and explicitly stated that the attack was antisemitic terrorism directed against Jews and carried out during the Hanukkah holiday.
By contrast, Australia, where the attack took place, as well as New Zealand and the United Kingdom, received relatively low scores because their initial statements did not explicitly mention Jews, antisemitism, or Hanukkah. In Australia, the prime minister was widely criticized by both traditional and social media outlets, and only later issued a clarification referring to the attack as antisemitic terrorism. A similar pattern was observed in New Zealand.
At the bottom of the ranking were Muslim and Arab countries. In most of these cases, responses were issued by foreign ministries rather than by national leaders. In some instances, the fact that the attack targeted Jews was omitted, and condemnations were framed in general terms opposing “any form of violence,” without reference to the antisemitic motive. This group included Egypt and Jordan, countries that maintain peace agreements with Israel.
Israel was mentioned only once, in a statement by Argentine President Javier Milei, who directly criticized the Australian government, linking Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state to what he described as a climate that enabled the antisemitic attack. This response was unusual in that it explicitly connected Australia's foreign policy vis-a-vis the Palestinians with the security of the local Jewish community.
The analysis also examined which officials spoke and which remained silent. In most democratic countries, the responses were issued directly by heads of state, indicating the gravity attributed to the attack. No leader of a Muslim country issued a direct response.
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419439 INN]
____
The hidden objectives behind the Australia massacre.
Psychological warfare expert: Terrorism against Jewish communities around the world is part of a process aimed at isolating Israel and Jews.
Shimon Cohen.
Dec 17, 2025, 12:50 PM (GMT+2)
Dr. Ron Schleifer, an expert in psychological warfare, analyzes the recent wave of antisemitic terrorism around the world and argues that it is part of a broader strategy aimed at weakening the bond between Israel and the Jewish diaspora, as well as between Jews and the countries they live in - ultimately leading to Israel’s total isolation.
Dr. Schleifer views the massacre in Australia not only as an act of murder but also as an intentional effort to instill fear in Jewish communities abroad and thereby erode their support for Israel.
"Since the Vietnam War, we have learned how small organizations and movements can defeat powerful superpowers or far stronger nations," Dr. Schleifer explains. "It begins with psychological warfare - non-violent acts - then escalates to terrorism, targeting civilians randomly, followed by guerrilla warfare targeting state representatives, and finally full-scale warfare leading to victory."
He notes that “Vietnam was a small rural country that managed to defeat the world’s strongest superpower,” and cites the principle of terrorism: “You kill one to scare a thousand - because no one knows where or when the next attack will happen, leading to public unrest and ultimately regime change.”
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419490 INN]
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Spread the message’: Accused gunman’s preaching video.
As a baby-faced 17-year-old, Naveed Akram was already a fervent follower of Islam, preaching on the streets of western Sydney.
Dec 17, 2025.
[https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/spread-the-message-accused-gunmans-preaching-video/news-story/f608369cc993937b0b2db04693a4666d News.com.au]
____
Naz...
Bondi Terror Suspect Confronts Police at Pro-Palestinian Rally.
Dec 15, 2025.
[https://www.instagram.com/p/DSSybQGkm6d/ on Instagram]
___
First funeral of one of 15 Sydney terrorist attack victims, as alleged gunman charged.
SBS News.
Dec 17. 2025.
The first funeral of one of the 15 victims of Sunday's terror attack has taken place in Bondi at a Jewish community centre. Hundreds of people gathered to farewell 41-year old Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a married father of five. His murder described as a massive loss for the Jewish nation.
The funeral taking place as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced damning criticism from former Coalition Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who is Jewish, that the government had not done enough to combat anti-semitism.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSvwVhgYhbc on YouTube]
Sydney holds funerals for Bondi Beach shooting victims.
The local community mourns as funerals begin for those killed in the antisemitic terror attack.
i24NEWS.
December 17, 2025 at 02:43 AM
latest revision December 17, 2025 at 02:53 AM
The first funerals for victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting began on Wednesday, as family, friends, and members of the Jewish community gathered to mourn those killed in the deadly Hanukkah celebration attack on Sunday. The services come amid tight security and ongoing shock across Australia.
The initial funeral was held at the Chabad of Bondi Synagogue for Rabbi Eli Schlanger, one of the 15 people killed during the attack that authorities have described as an antisemitic terrorist act targeting Jewish families celebrating the Festival of Lights. Hundreds of mourners attended the heavily guarded service.
([https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/94/d0/08/29/a3/98/d0/45/ae/18/ad/23/c5/67/1f/cc/94d00829a398d045ae18ad23c5671fcc.jpg?width=350&type=webp].
Family members of Rabbi Eli Schlanger mourning over his coffin Hollie ADAMS / POOL / AFP).
Rabbi Schlanger, 41, was remembered by mourners and community leaders as a devoted spiritual leader and compassionate figure. Rabbi Levi Wolff described him as “one of the purest and most sincere and compassionate people any of us have known,” while Schlanger’s father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, spoke of his deep commitment to supporting others even in difficult circumstances.
In an emotional eulogy, Ulman spoke through tears about the profound loss felt by his family and community. “You became everything to me. My hands, my feet… You were my son, my friend, my confidant… to go a day without you seems impossible,” he said, choking up as he addressed Schlanger’s absence.
Ulman likened the pain of the Bondi massacre to other tragedies faced by the Jewish people, urging resilience in his community. He said the loss was “massive for the entire Jewish nation” and emphasized the need for unity and strength in the face of terror.
(Hanukkah goes on: Jew worldwide refuse to hide after Sydney massacre).
Authorities have maintained a strong police presence around the synagogue and funeral sites, reflecting heightened security concerns following the attack. The alleged gunman in the shooting has been charged with multiple offenses, including murder and terrorism, as investigations continue and funerals for other victims, including a 10-year-old girl, are scheduled in the coming days.
The funerals have underscored both the grief of those directly affected and broader calls for action on antisemitism and public safety. State and federal leaders have attended the services or expressed support as communities across Sydney and beyond seek comfort and solidarity in the days after one of Australia’s deadliest attacks
[https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/diaspora-affairs/artc-sydney-holds-funerals-for-bondi-beach-shooting-victims i24]
___
Alleged Sydney terror gunman charged with 15 counts of murder.
Australian prosecutors charged the surviving accused gunman with 59 terror-related offenses over the Chanukah attack that killed 15 and wounded dozens.
Joshua Marks.
(Dec. 17, 2025 / JNS)
The surviving alleged gunman in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack has been charged with 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, Australian authorities said on Wednesday.
Naveed Akram, 24, awoke from a medically induced coma on Tuesday and faced court via video conference from his hospital bed, where he remains under police guard after sustaining injuries during an exchange of gunfire with officers.
Police shot and killed Akram’s father, Sajid, 50, the second accused gunman, at the scene.
https://www.jns.org/bondi-terror-gunman-charged-with-15-counts-of-murder/
University of Sydney Fires Staff Member Over Antisemitic Abuse of Students.
By Dion J. Pierre. December 16, 2025.
The University of Sydney in Australia has dismissed an employee who was filmed shrieking at Jewish students over their support for Israel, a tirade in which she described them as “depraved” and inhuman.
“They’re shredding children!” staff member Rose Nakad screamed at the students in October, repeating pro-Hamas propaganda Hamas falsely accusing Israel of targeting Palestinian children in Gaza. “You are a f—king filthy Zionist. Nothing to do with being a Jew, you disgusting, depraved person.”
On Monday — just one day removed from the Bondi Beach massacre in which gunmen opened fire on Jews celebrating the start of Hanukkah in Sydney, hospitalizing dozens of people in addition to the 15 individuals who were murdered — the university denounced Nakad’s conduct as “distressing and utterly unacceptable.” It had previously suspended Nakad, signaling its appreciation of the gravity of her misconduct amid a global surge in antisemitism.
“The behavior that took place on our campus in October this year was deeply distressing and utterly unacceptable. We immediately suspended the staff member pending a formal process and have now terminated their employment on the grounds of serious misconduct,” the university said in a statement.
[https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/16/university-sydney-fires-staff-member-antisemitic-abuse-students/ JNS]
____
Scrutiny Intensifies.
Sydney Bloodbath Blunder: Only 2 Officers Were Guarding 1000 Jews at Chanukah Event When Terrorists Struck.
Premier Chris Minns has confessed that only two police officers were guarding a crowd of 1,000 Jewish families when gunmen launched a deadly ten-minute massacre, raising urgent questions about a catastrophic security failure.
Eliana Fleming.
Dec 17, 2025 17:53
[https://www.jfeed.com/news-world/sydney-chanukah-terror-attack JFeed]
____
Wikipedia debating if attack targeting Jews at Sydney Chanukah event was ‘terror’.
Deborah Lipstadt, scholar and former U.S. envoy on Jew-hatred, said that if the online encyclopedia was downplaying the attack that was unsurprising and it was “being true to itself.”
(Dec. 16, 2025 / JNS)
The attack, in which gunmen thought to be a father and son shot and killed 15 people at a Chanukah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday, is widely described as a terror attack. But editors on Wikipedia are debating whether that phrase is appropriate or it should just be called a “shooting.”
The site’s current page about the incident refers to a “shooting” in the headline and, in the body of the article, to a “terrorist mass shooting.”
Editors on the site, who are volunteer and often unnamed, are also reportedly trying to keep the names of the shooters out of the article. Law enforcement have said that the shooters were inspired by ISIS.
On the “talk” section of the page, editors on Wikipedia are debating whether a sufficient number of sources has called the attack “terror” and if the suspected gunmen, one of whom is dead, are public figures who ought to be named.
Deborah Lipstadt, former U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism and professor of modern Jewish history and Holocaust studies at Emory University, stated that if editors are actually trying to characterize the attack merely as a “shooting” on Wikipedia, then that’s “hardly a surprise.
“Just Wikipedia being true to itself when it concerns Israel, Jews, antisemitism,” she stated.
“Chanukah should be celebrated with oil lighting, not gaslighting,” added David May, research manager and senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
[https://www.jns.org/wikipedia-debating-if-attack-targeting-jews-at-sydney-chanukah-event-was-terror/ JNS]
The same coordinated clique of Wikipedians that promoted Pallyweid and amplified genocidal Hamas narratives through its allied Turkey/Qatar/Iran-linked, unreliable sources is now sabotaging factual coverage of the Islamic Hanukkah Massacre.
December 17, 2025.
Digital Erasure of Jewish Victims: The Wikipedia Campaign to Protect Genocidal "Palestine" Leadership and Rewrite History.
The same coordinated clique of Wikipedians that previously promoted Pallyweid and amplified genocidal Hamas narratives—relying heavily on Turkey/Qatar/Iran-linked, demonstrably unreliable sources—is now actively sabotaging factual coverage of the Islamic Hanukkah Massacre. Their pattern is consistent: marginalize Jewish victims, blur or excuse Islamist violence, and replace documented facts with ideologically driven distortions. This is not neutral editing but a sustained effort to erase Jewish suffering, shield extremist actors from scrutiny, and weaponize Wikipedia against historical truth and Jewish self-defense.
Wikipedia debating if attack targeting Jews at Sydney Chanukah event was ‘terror’ JNS . December 16, 2025..
[Hamas’s operational strategy intentionally endangers civilians by embedding its forces among them, obstructing aid and evacuations, and then instrumentalizing the resulting casualties to advance political and propaganda objectives against Israel].
[https://justsayingitoutloloud.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-same-coordinated-clique-of.html Just sayin']
____
France 24, Mother Jones Receive UN Award for Work Built on Word of Discredited Ex-Contractor Who Lied About Israel.
By Corey Walker. December 16, 2025
Anthony Aguilar, a former contractor for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) who previously served as a US Army Green Beret. Photo: Screenshot
The UN press corps on Friday gave an award to news outlets France 24 and Mother Jones for their reporting based on the testimony of Anthony Aguilar, a US Army veteran and former contractor for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) who has made discredited claims against Israel.
France 24 and Mother Jones were awarded the Bronze medal in the Ricardo Ortega Memorial Prize category at the UN Correspondents Gala Awards, an event hosted by the UN Correspondents Association at the global body’s headquarters in New York City. The award is for broadcast coverage of the UN, its agencies, and field operations.
According to France 24, its journalists were the first to interview Aguilar on camera on the morning of July 23, 2025. Aguilar claimed he witnessed human rights abuses perpetrated by the Israeli military and others at sites run by the GHF, which until the Gaza ceasefire went into place was an Israel- and US-backed program that delivered aid directly to Palestinians, with the goal of blocking Hamas from diverting supplies for terrorist activities and selling the remainder at inflated prices.
France 24 and Mother Jones both published a story based on Aguilar’s testimony.
However, it was revealed last year that Aguilar’s most explosive claim, about the death of a Gazan boy, was false and that he was fired by the GHF for his conduct and pushing misinformation.
Aguilar claimed he witnessed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shoot a child — Abdul Rahim Muhammad Hamdene, known as Abboud — as the GHF was distributing humanitarian aid on May 28.
After Aguilar made his claim, he rapidly rose to prominence, presenting himself as a whistleblower exposing supposed Israeli war crimes. His story gained traction internationally, going viral on social media. He subsequently embarked on an extensive media tour, in which he accused Israel of indiscriminately killing Palestinian civilians as part of an attempt to “annihilate” and “disappear” the civilian population in Gaza.
However, Aguilar, who erroneously labeled the boy in question as “Amir,” gave inconsistent accounts of the alleged incident in separate interviews to different media outlets, calling into question the veracity of his narrative.
The GHF launched its own investigation at the end of July, ultimately locating Abboud alive with his mother at an aid distribution site on Aug. 23. The organization confirmed his identity using facial recognition software and biometric testing.
Abboud was escorted in disguise to an undisclosed safe location by the GHF team for his safety, according to The Daily Wire, which noted that the spreading of Aguilar’s false tale put the boy’s life in danger, as his alleged death was a powerful piece of propaganda for Hamas.
Fox News Digital reported that Abboud and his mother were safely extracted from the Gaza Strip in September.
In footage obtained by both news outlets, the boy can be seen playfully interacting with a GHF representative and appearing excited ahead of their planned extraction.
During the summer, as Aguilar’s claims were receiving widespread media attention, the GHF released a chain of text messages showing that Aguilar was terminated for his conduct. It also held a press conference to present evidence showing that Aguilar “falsified documents” and “presented misleading videos to push his false narrative.”
There was no apparent mention of the revelations about Aguilar’s narrative when the award was given out on Friday.
[https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/16/france-24-mother-jones-receive-un-award-for-work-built-on-word-of-discredited-ex-contractor-who-lied-about-israel/ Algemeiner]
_____
UK Police Plan Tougher Action Against Antisemitic Chants and Protests.
by Reuters and Algemeiner Staff. December 17, 2025.
British police on Wednesday said they would take tougher action against people who use placards and chants to target the Jewish community, saying recent violent incidents had changed the context around such protests.
The move comes days after 15 people died in a mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach targeting an event for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, and following an attack at a synagogue in Manchester in northern England in October in which two Jewish worshippers were killed.
[https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/17/uk-police-plan-tougher-action-against-antisemitic-chants-protests/ Algemeiner]
____
Arab man arrested after posting video of dancing on police car.
An eastern Jerusalem resident posted a video on TikTok showing him dancing on the roof of a police vehicle. He was detained yesterday for questioning.
Israel National News.
Dec 17, 2025, 6:00 PM (GMT+2)
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419506 INN]
_____
Herzog urges Pope to intensify fight against antisemitism.
President Isaac Herzog spoke with Pope Leo XIV ahead of Christmas, discussing rising global antisemitism, Israel’s ties with the Holy See, and hopes for peace in the coming year.
Israel National News.
Dec 17, 2025, 7:41 PM (GMT+2)
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419511 INN]
_____
Netanyahu approves $35 Bil. gas deal with Egypt.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced approval of a NIS 112 billion gas deal with Egypt, saying billions in revenue will strengthen Israel’s economy and education system.
Israel National News.
Dec 17, 2025, 9:02 PM (GMT+2)
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419516 INN]
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EU official at Hanukkah ceremony: No place for the poison of antisemitism.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen lights Hanukkah candles in Brussels, condemns rising antisemitism across Europe and unveils plan to protect Jews after deadly Sydney terror attack.
Israel National News.
Dec 18, 2025, 4:38 AM (GMT+2)
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419528 INN]
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Sa'ar to Al Arabiya: Iran, not Israel, threatens regional stability in Middle East.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar points out that Hezbollah violates Lebanon’s sovereignty, calls for peace with neighbors, tougher global action on antisemitism, and an end to Iran-backed terror.
Israel National News.
Published: Dec 18, 2025, 3:14 AM (GMT+2)
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419524 INN]
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Belgium ends federal protection for Antwerp’s Jewish quarter, community livid.
Federal police protection for Antwerp’s Jewish quarter ends January 1 despite growing risks to local Jewish community.
Israel National News.
Published: Dec 18, 2025, 12:15 AM (GMT+2)
[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419521 INN]
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US Rep. Byron Donalds Opens Wide Lead Over Anti-Israel Candidate, Rest of Field in Florida GOP Primary for Governor.
By Corey Walker. December 17, 2025.
US Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) speaks on stage during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 11, 2025, in Tampa, Florida. Photo: Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters Connect
US Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) has firmly established himself as the frontrunner in Florida’s Republican primary for governor, new polling shows, building a substantial lead over the field, which includes anti-Israel investment firm CEO James Fishback.
The survey, carried out by The American Promise, finds Donalds leading the field with 38 percent support among likely Republican voters. Lt. Gov. Jay Collins trails far behind at 9 percent, while Azoria CEO James Fishback registers 2 percent and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner garners just 1 percent. Nearly half of respondents, 49 percent, say they remain undecided.
Donalds, a stalwart conservative and strident ally of US President Donald Trump, has established himself as a firm ally of Israel. Donalds expressed support for Israel’s right to self-defense in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel. As skepticism about Israel has surged within the Republican Party in recent months, Donalds has maintained strong vocal support for the Jewish state.
During an interview with Fox Business this week, Donalds lamented rising antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment within the country and around the world.
“This level of antisemitism, this hatred against Jewish people and against Israel, it’s out of control. It’s insane,” Donalds said.
Donalds also reflected on the antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on Sunday, connecting the rise of extremism in Western countries to relaxed migration policies.
“I mean, this rhetoric around hating Israel, hating the Jewish people, that has to stop because there are real-world consequences. There are crazy people who will carry this out,” he said.
[https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/17/us-rep-byron-donalds-opens-wide-lead-anti-israel-candidate-rest-field-florida-gop-primary-governor/ Algemeiner]
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Foreign Ministry weighs closing Norway embassy amid diplomatic rift.
Itamar Eichner|12.17.25
[https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkx11ofxxze YNet]
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Mamdani’s Father Blasts Columbia University Over Antisemitism Policies, Says Anti-Israel Students ‘Terrorized’.
By Dion J. Pierre. December 17, 2025.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s father — Mahmood Mamdani — denounced Columbia University’s efforts to combat antisemitism on Friday, exacerbating concerns that the incoming Mamdani administration will be an anti-Zionist coterie bent on fostering a hostile climate for Jews and supporters of Israel.
“Well, students are terrified; they are terrorized,” Mamdani — who was the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University before going on leave in September — said on the Substack of Peter Beinart, a prominent anti-Israel writer. Beinart earlier this year refused to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, arguing that the designation carries racial undertones.
[https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/17/mamdanis-father-blasts-columbia-university-antisemitism-policies-says-anti-israel-students-terrorized/ Algemeiner]
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Europe Moves to Toughen Stance on Antisemitic Incitement After Bondi Beach Massacre.
By Ailin Vilches Arguello. December 17, 2025.
In the wake of last weekend’s deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, some European authorities are stepping up efforts to crack down on antisemitic incitement, with Britain and Germany targeting certain slogans and ramping up legal and security measures.
On Wednesday, London and Manchester police warned that anyone publicly chanting to “globalize the intifada” — a popular slogan among anti-Israel activists that has been widely condemned as a call for violence against Jews and Israelis — will be arrested.
Local law enforcement said the crackdown comes as the “context has changed” in the wake of Sunday’s massacre in Australia, where gunmen murdered 15 people and wounded at least 40 others who gathered at Bondi Beach to celebrate the first night of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
[https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/17/europe-moves-toughen-stance-antisemitic-incitement-bondi-beach-massacre/ Algemeiner]
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Leaked Chats and Photos.
"Operation Octopus": Iranian Hackers Target Former PM Naftali Bennett in High-Stakes Cyber Campaign.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has admitted his Telegram account was breached by Iranian hackers who are now circulating sensitive government documents and personal photos in a campaign dubbed "Operation Octopus."
Eliana Fleming.
Dec 17, 2025
[https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/iranian-cyber-attacks-israel JFeed]
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Immediate action: Four arrested in London for Globalize the Intifada chants at Palestine protest
The four protestors were arrested almost immediately after the British government introduced the new crackdown.
By Mathilda Heller. December 18, 2025.
Four individuals were arrested for chanting 'Globalize the Intifada' during a Palestine Coalition protest in London on Wednesday night, almost immediately after the British government introduced the new crackdown.
The Palestine Coalition protest entered controversy straight away, as the planned route would have interrupted the menorah lighting at Trafalgar Square.
[https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-880615 JPost]
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Israel examining possibility Iran involved in murder of nuclear scientist in US - report.
This is an assessment that has not yet been verified and is not supported at this stage by official findings from the investigative authorities in the United States.
By Anna Barsky.
December 17, 2025.
Israeli officials are examining intelligence from recent days that suggests an Iranian connection to the murder of Prof. Nuno Loureiro, a senior nuclear scientist at MIT, who was shot dead in his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Monday evening.
This is an assessment that has not yet been verified and is not supported at this stage by official findings from the investigative authorities in the United States.
[https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-880573 JPost]
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Israel, Greece, Cyprus weigh joint military force amid Turkey tensions.
Planned 2,500-strong rapid response force would include troops, ships and aircraft from all three countries, aimed at protecting regional energy infrastructure and deterring Turkey, while strengthening strategic ties and postwar cooperation on Gaza.
ynet|12.18.25
[https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skjtvxzm11e YNet]
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