Continued operations on Islamic Republic of Iran, proxies , May 4 2026+ - sources: Pt II

Sources, part 2 for: Continued operations on Islamic Republic of Iran, proxies , May 4 2026+

This is a continuation of [Continued operations on Islamic Republic of Iran, proxies , May 4 2026+ - sources Part 1].

Part 1

'Peace first, war later': Arab state urged potential Israel partner to sign deal before launching war. Aug 10, 2026.

Arab state reportedly urged another potential Israel-normalization country to sign deal with Israel, then go to war ‘when time is right’

i24NEWS. August 10, 2026.

Information cleared for publication by the Israeli military has revealed a reported exchange between several countries in the region over a possible agreement with Israel, according to reports by Israeli media Kan 11 and Channel 12.

According to the reports, one Arab state allegedly advised another country to first sign an agreement with Israel and then, if circumstances became more favorable, launch a war against the Jewish state.

identity of the country that received the advice remains classified.

The revelations come as the Middle East undergoes major strategic shifts. The Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States in 2020, established diplomatic relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with Morocco and Sudan later joining the normalization process, although Sudan’s agreement was never fully implemented.

The latest developments also come after Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the “Mecca Pact,” a defense agreement under which an attack against one member would be considered an attack against all three.

UAE restores ties with Tehran while deepening Israel alliance

UAE restores ties with Tehran while deepening Israel alliance Iran subsequently warned that the agreement would not guarantee Saudi Arabia’s security. Turkey’s foreign minister responded that the alliance was not directed against Tehran and said Egypt was considering joining the pact, potentially expanding the arrangement into a four-country defense alliance i24

They are for war (Ps.120:7).

What happens when an official in one of the countries in the region advises an official in another country to pursue a peace agreement with Israel in order to "stun" it in preparation for a future campaign against it? As expected, Israeli intelligence recognizes this and, in a rare case, also approves of publishing the unusual discourse. An expert also explains to "Center of Affairs" the Israeli tactics.

By Avraham Cohen.

The dramatic consultation that was recently revealed by the State of Israel caused a fierce storm among the political and security leadership in Israel. Last week, the matter was allowed to be published, without relevant names, and the State of Israel and the entire region were exposed to the dramatic event.

The consultation that was revealed was short, but explosive and dangerous. According to the report, which was first published in Kan News, an official in one of the countries in the region advised an official in another country to reach an agreement with Israel in order to "reject" Israel. During the conversation, the advisor suggested that the other party seek help after an "agreement" with Israel for a confrontation against it, while there was an official peace agreement between the countries. In fact, behind the recommendation was one senior official in the region who advised it to choose another country.

Although the conversation between the senior officials was supposed to take place in secret, Israel knew about the project all along.

Impact on preparations.

It was later revealed that Israel had known about the dramatic information for months, according to N12 reports, remarked that for a long time Israel was conducting itself while being aware of the content of the consultations, while the Western countries were unaware that the information had been revealed.

According to the report, the information significantly affects Israeli conduct with regional actors. It was also reported that the conversation between the two Arab countries dealt with a plan designed to oust Israel by signing a diplomatic agreement, while preparing for a major war and violating the agreement in the future.

It was also noted that the same discourse affects both Israeli assessments of the country that advised and the country that received the advice. Avraham concluded that "given that the entire event rests on alliances and the hope of expanding the circle of peace, one can understand what a chilling effect it had on elements on various fronts."

The reporter also reported that in the past week there have been changes in the balance of regional power, with a peace alliance being negotiated between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. The agreement between the parties, which was dubbed the "Mecca Agreement," included a triple defense, by virtue of which "an armed attack against one of the three countries will be considered an attack against all three."

Contacts.

At the same time, the State of Israel has been holding direct talks and contacts with the regime of Muhammad al-Sharaa for the past two years. Initially, it reached an agreement between the parties.

Al-Sharaa, who overthrew the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in just months and sentenced him to death just last week, has been presenting a new and revolutionary vision since coming to power. The man who is nurturing al-Qaeda's jihadist organizations has been presenting quite surprising positions since his election; he is adamant about wearing a caliphate, dismantling the White House and hosting French President Emmanuel Macron in his country with great fanfare.

Al-Sharaa also presents a quite surprising position. His foreign minister has met with senior Israeli officials on more than one occasion, and Al-Sharaa himself met with the Syrian Jewish community that currently lives in the United States during his visit to the country, as a sign of a change of direction on his part.

The new relations between Israel and Syria have been blocked from all sides, and those who are promoting the full-force obstruction are the Americans, who are known for their complete lack of familiarity with the mood in the Middle East. About a year ago, President Trump proposed that Israel join the Abraham Accords. Shortly before that, the Americans lifted the sanctions that were in place on Syria during the Assad era.

Despite Trump's proposal, it is reported that Israel negotiated with the United Arab Emirates to bring Syria into the Abraham Accords.

Several months later, the Syrian president said in an interview with the Jewish media outlet 'Jewish Journal' that he wanted to return to the 1974 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria, calling for it to begin with airstrikes on Syrian territory, and saying that Israel and Syria have common enemies.

Furthermore, the Syrian government headed by al-Sharaa did not condemn the Israeli attack on Iran, but rather strongly condemned the Iranian attack on the American base in Qatar. After Israel's first operation in Iran, senior Syrian officials said that direct dialogue was underway with Israel and that Syria was not considering a peace agreement until the end of US President Trump's term.

In this context, it is worth noting that the tightening relations are even more disturbing given that the Syrian president's main sponsor is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of Israel's most prominent regional rivals. Other regional leaders who support his rule are the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar.

Deception operations.

Returning to the revealed consultation. Israel, it is important to note, has repeatedly repeated similar moves in the past, most notably the horrific massacre on Simchat Torah 5774, which occurred in the midst of a period in which it was conducting dialogue with Hamas.

In a conversation with the Center for the Study of the State of Israel, expert on mind warfare, Dr. Ron Shleifer, notes that the announcement in Israel was made with deep thought and is indicative of the psychological war against those elements. "Israel," he claims, "shows here that it has vast information, and therefore an impressive deterrent power against the countries of the region, which also warns against revealing information that they would not want to be revealed by us."

[1] 8.18.26 at EoZ

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The Missing Context of Bibas Family Captor Terrorist Group in Mass Funeral Coverage. Coverage of a mass funeral event in Gaza failed to disclose the terrorists being buried, and the involvement of the Mujahideen Brigades. By HonestReporting Staff. August 10, 2026 The Missing Context of Bibas Family Captor Terrorist Group in Mass Funeral Coverage Bibas Family bodies released.

Key Takeaways:

-A mass funeral was held last week in Gaza for members of the Abu Sharia family who died in November, 2023. -The Abu Sharia clan is closely tied to the Mujahideen Movement, and key figures in the terrorist organization were killed in the incident. The media failed to mention the slain terrorists, or the ties of the family to the organization that had held members of the Bibas family hostage. HonestReporting

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Senior IRGC Official: Iran's Basij Told to Expand Operations Abroad | MEMRI. August 11, 2026. MEMRI

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CNN panel devolves into chaos as Dems accuse GOP of ‘anti-Muslim’ attack on El-Sayed by using his full name. By Taylor Herzlich, New York Post, August 11, 2026.

A CNN panel exploded in a heated clash Monday night after Dems accused Republicans of launching an “anti-Muslim” attack on Michigan Senate hopeful Dr. Abdul El-Sayed by running an ad campaign using his full name.

During “CNN NewsNight” with guest host Jon Berman, the panel discussed Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-SC) defense of an ad campaign that blasts El-Sayed as a dangerous candidate and uses the controversial lefty pol’s full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed.

In an interview clip, the senator was asked whether the ads are an attempt to tell voters “hint, hint…he’s Muslim.” Scott responded, “Not at all … I can get called Timothy Eugene. I get called that all the time.”

After replaying the clip on CNN, Berman jibed, “I have never heard Tim Scott referred to as Timothy Eugene in a campaign ad.”

Niall Stanage, an Irish journalist and associate editor at The Hill, jumped in with a furious take on the GOP ad campaign.

“I don’t know how [Scott] says that with a straight face, honestly,” Stanage said. “The idea that using Tim Scott’s full name, unabbreviated, is equivalent to using Abdul El-Sayed’s full name is just ludicrous. It is obviously in El-Sayed’s case an appeal to anti-Muslim, anti-Arab sentiment.”

Jason Rantz, a conservative radio host, sarcastically sniped: “People didn’t know he was Muslim until they said his full name.”…. NYPost

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Turkish Charity Director Arrested In UK On U.S. Charges Of Financing Hamas USA TheJ.ca Staff. Aug 12, 2026. A Turkish charity director faces U.S. terrorism financing charges over an alleged aid network coordinated with senior Hamas leadership. TheJ.ca

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Global campaign launched to counter claims of Israeli genocide in Gaza. International Legal Forum and more than 35 other organizations argue the terrorist group has hijacked the term to spread 'a modern blood libel'. Author of the article:By National Post Staff Published Aug 11, 2026 NationalPost

Global coalition of orgs launch ‘Gaza GenoLIE’ initiative to counter ‘modern blood libel’. JPost. Aug 13, 2026

Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism, said: “Calling Israel’s defensive war against Hamas a ‘genocide’ is not activism; it is a modern blood libel dressed up in academic language.”

By Marhilda Heller. August 13, 2026.

An alliance of 55 organizations has this week launched Gaza GenoLIE, an educational initiative about the “generated and orchestrated genocide lie promoted by anti-Zionists and antisemitic networks in the US, Europe and around the world.”

It further says that the “Gaza Genocide” is one of the biggest lies of the 21st century.

The website includes eight pieces of what it describes as “the Gaza GenoLIE puzzle.”

The initiative is led by organizations from around the world, including the Ireland-Israel Alliance, the Solomon Observatory on Discrimination (Italy), the Sweden-Israel Alliance, and others. There are also some major bodies on the list, including Stand With Us, the World Jewish Congress, CAMERA, and the National Jewish Advocacy Center

Clicking on each of the eight puzzle pieces takes the user to an explanatory page.

Lie #1: Genocide claims against Israel only appeared after the October 7 Massacre The first “lie” revolves around the notion that genocide claims against Israel only appeared after October 7, 2023. The website notes that calls of genocide were already widely used on social media and during protests on October 8, before the IDF even began a ground operation in Gaza.

Genocide is a well-established legal term and standard, proven by a pattern of conduct assessed over time. The website says that an accusation lodged within 24-48 hours after the Hamas massacre against Israel, before any such pattern could exist, “is a predetermined narrative, not a finding.”

Lie #2: Israel's actions legally constitute genocide The second “lie” presented is that Israel’s actions constitute genocide under the legal framework.

The crime of genocide was defined in the 1948 Genocide Convention, drafted following the Holocaust. Under Article II, genocide means certain acts – killing, causing serious harm, inflicting destructive conditions of life – committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.”

Intent is key when finding a state or party responsible for genocide. Additionally, if any other reasonable explanation for the conduct exists, the charge of genocide fails as a matter of law.

In Israel’s case, the website says “because a lawful war objective following a massacre of its civilians is a reasonable explanation for Israel’s conduct, genocidal intent cannot be the only reasonable inference.”

Therefore, under the ICJ’s own test, it says the genocide argument fails.

Other parts of the puzzle featured on the website include discussion of Hamas’s use of human shields, the use of sick Gazan children to generate optics of famine, and the accusations of war on journalists.

“The “Gaza GenoLIE” is the most dangerous example of a decades-long deliberate and systematic hijacking, redefinition, inversion, and weaponization of facts and law,” said the International Legal Forum.

Our Fight UK said, “While challenging the libel with the facts is an important step, it is no longer enough.”

“It’s time that we demanded our politicians state clearly where they stand. Our public life is being distorted and devalued as violence and intimidation are given free rein, justified by the false claim of genocide; yet our public figures are too cowardly to challenge it.”

Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism, said: “Calling Israel’s defensive war against Hamas a ‘genocide’ is not activism; it is a modern blood libel dressed up in academic language.”

“We’ve watched this lie spread from social media into classrooms, city councils, and even Congress, and it has emboldened people to harass and threaten Jews in broad daylight. The Gaza GenoLIE campaign exposes this libel for what it is: a coordinated disinformation effort, not a legitimate critique. Antisemites don’t get to hide behind a hashtag.”

“When we table on campus and visit universities, and we ask them what they know about Israel, the word “genocide” is the first one they say,” said Ilan Sinelnikov, President, Students Supporting Israel.

“We all know there is no genocide in Gaza. What there is is a big lie. The GenoLie that is being fed to hundreds of thousands. The GenoLie initiative will make it fast and easy to debunk those lies.” JPost

Gaza GenoLIE Campaign Exposes How "Genocide" Definition Was Intentionally Distorted The genocide charge rests on a legal standard repeatedly stretched to fit the accusation. International courts require specific intent, and the ICJ has never ruled that it existed in Gaza. Jewish Onliner Aug 13, 2026 Jewish Onliner

New Campaign Aims to Dispel ‘Genocide Libel’ Against Israel, Slams Mamdani for Role in Pushing False Charge.

Bu Corey Walker. August 13, 2026.

More than 50 Jewish and non-Jewish organizations have joined forces in a new international campaign aimed at challenging what they describe as a coordinated “genocide” narrative against Israel that emerged in the aftermath of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

The global initiative’s website, GazaGenoLIE.com, argues that the genocide allegation was rapidly promoted by Hamas and its supporters as part of a broader effort to delegitimize Israel, while downplaying Israel’s stated efforts to protect Palestinian civilians and the context of the defensive war against terrorists. The campaign seeks to dismantle what it calls the “Gaza GenoLIE” by presenting evidence showing how the narrative emerged and spread worldwide.

The campaign’s website lays out what it describes as eight key “pieces” of the Gaza “GenoLIE” narrative: the emergence of genocide accusations almost immediately after the Oct. 7 attack; what organizers characterize as distortions of the legal definition of genocide and the role of intent; portrayals of Israel’s war against Hamas as a war against Palestinians; Hamas’s alleged use of civilians and civilian infrastructure as human shields; what the campaign calls the use of severely ill children to support claims of an Israeli-created famine; allegations that journalists killed in Gaza were deliberately targeted because of their profession; and the spread of the genocide accusation into what the organizers call a “blood libel” against Jews worldwide. The organizers conclude that the “genocide libel” is part of a larger effort to delegitimize and stigmatize Israel on the international stage.

“Israel’s conduct throughout the war included a series of measures that would be inexplicable for a state aiming to target a whole population. Israel issued evacuation warnings days and weeks in advance; dropped millions of leaflets; and placed tens of millions of phone calls, texts, and recorded messages in Arabic urging civilians to leave combat zones,” the website reads.

Among the organizations participating are the World Jewish Congress, Zionist Organization of America, StopAntisemitism, Students Supporting Israel, CAMERA, HonestReporting, and the Maccabee Task Force.

The campaign comes as Israel and its supporters continue to fight a widely accepted narrative in progressive circles that the Jewish state’s military operations aim to eliminate the Palestinian population rather than specifically the Hamas terrorist group, which explicitly seeks Israel’s destruction.

One of the campaign’s examples is New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a public official who has accused Israel of “genocide[sic]” on numerous occasions. Only six days after the Hamas-led massacre in Israel, he posted on social media that “we are on the brink of a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.” The initiative argues that such statements helped establish the genocide narrative before Israel’s ground operation in Gaza had even begun.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who at the time was a member of the New York State Assembly, went on to call for a ceasefire and an end to additional US military funding for Israel in his Oct. 13, 2023, post.

Contemporary reporting confirms that Mamdani participated that evening in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Brooklyn, where he was arrested after protesters blocked traffic outside the home of then-US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Jewish Democrat. Algemeiner

The Gaza GenoLIE is the GENerated and Orchestrated LIE about genocide in Gaza, promoted by anti-Zionist and antisemitic ... Gaza GenoLIE

The Gaza GenoLIE started on Oct 8. The National Jewish Assembly. August 12, 2026. on YouTube

Ben Benson (@berlinerbenben) • Instagram. berlinerbenben: Aug 14, 2026. The obviously false genocide claim against Israel is all about Holocaust inversion — the obviously nonsensical historical distortion intended to (1) demean Israel in disregard of the facts, (2) diminish the seriousness of the Holocaust, (3) offend Jews, and (4) fuel the anti-Jewish hate that plagues our communities.

If you want parallels, see how Hamas and the Nazis poisoned youths’ minds with hate and martyrdom; and how they hid in their bunkers and left civilians to died in the crossfire. on Instagram

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New Details: How Trump secretly switched planes after Iran missile threat. New details reveal how security officials quietly moved Trump to a smaller military aircraft after intelligence indicated a possible missile threat near the NATO summit in Turkey. Israel National News. Aug 12, 2026, 12:28 PM INN

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Father of Hostage: 'Terrorists at Nahal Oz spoke Farsi'. Eyal Eshel says testimony from those at Nahal Oz indicates terrorists were heard speaking Persian during the October 7 attack. Israel National News. Published: Aug 12, 2026, 2:09 PM (GMT+3) INN

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Dozens of illegal structures demolished in northern Samaria. Civil Administration forces carried out a major enforcement operation ahead of the planned return of Israeli families to Ganim and Kadim. Hezki Baruch. Published: Aug 12, 2026, 1:17 PM (GMT+3) The Civil Administration’s Enforcement Unit carried out a large-scale enforcement operation in northern Samaria on Wednesday, demolishing dozens of illegal Palestinian structures located along roads and in areas near the towns of Ganim and Kadim. INN

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COGAT's unusual warning to Gazans Israel warns Gaza residents to stay away. from the Yellow Line, accusing Hamas of deliberately pushing civilians toward the area despite the danger. Yoni Kempinski. Aug 12, 2026, 2:36 PM (GMT+3) INN

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Jewish tourist wearing kippah assaulted in consecutive Rome attacks. French Jewish tourist attacked twice in central Rome over two days, leading Italian police to arrest a suspect on hate crime charges. Israel National News. Aug 12, 2026. Italian law enforcement officers took a 31-year-old unhoused Algerian citizen with a prior criminal history into custody on suspicion of carrying out repeated violent acts against a 22-year-old French visitor wearing a kippah in central Rome, according to details published Tuesday by Ynet. INN

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Mladenov: Claims of Board of Peace-Hamas deal are false. Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov rejects claims of a Hamas funding deal, saying Hamas will have no role in Gaza's governance or access to funds. Israel National News. Published: Aug 12, 2026, 4:16 PM (GMT+3) INN

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WJC study. 81% of antisemitic content remains online. Israel National News. Aug 12, 2026, 5:00 PM INN

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Iran: No talks with US on extending ceasefire. As 60-day ceasefire period nears its end, Tehran says it does not recognize an official start date and accuses Washington of violating the agreement. Israel National News Aug 12, 2026, 4:48 PM INN

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Hamas intensified Gaza torture, interrogations post-Oct. 2025 ceasefire, IDF Arabic spox says. Hamas employs physical violence, blackmail, psychological threats and harm, prolonged isolation, and a range of other forms of mistreatment, the IDF said.  Jonah Davidov. August 12, 2026. August 12, 2026 JPost

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: Hamas has intensified interrogations and torture against Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire came into effect in October 2025, in an effort to bolster its authority over the Strip. August 12, 2026 on X

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Gaza BoP agreement grants Hamas military wing $160 million in cash, Liberman claims. Liberman further noted a recent incident in which IDF commanders came across a group of 50 Hamas Nuhkba terrorists who were conducting an exercise in which they practiced raiding a Jewish settlement. August 12, 2026 JPost

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Hamas may receive up to $400 million in debt relief under BoP plan - report. BoP Director-General Nikolay Mladenov disputed the report, saying that "such a proposal has not been discussed, negotiated, considered, and will not be on the agenda in the future." August 12, 2026 JPost

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Concern grows in Israel as mother, daughter mysteriously vanish in Vienna Mali Yahalomi, 50, and her 23-year-old daughter Liel have been missing since Friday after failing to board their return flight; their Vienna apartment was found empty. August 12, 2026. JPost

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After 17 years, Israel and Venezuela begin rebuilding ties through humanitarian aid - opinion. The landscape began to shift following the US capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3 and assumed a human dimension after the disaster. August 12, 2026 JPost

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Saudi Arabia bets on defensive alliances to deter slide into war - analysis. Riyadh faces a dilemma: how to deter attacks and protect the ambitious economic vision it is pursuing without becoming entangled in a broader conflict in the region. August 12, 2026 JPost

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: The Middle East and North Africa hold vast oil and gas reserves, but the region’s natural resource landscape extends far beyond energy. Water scarcity, mineral wealth, limited farmland, and fisheries are shaping economies and their futures across the region. August 12, 2026. on X

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Live updates: Israel warns Trump of Iran assassination plot, Lebanon failing to disarm Hezbollah. Trump covertly escorted off Air Force One to another plane • Iranian official says US blockade worse than war • Israeli officials say LAF not doing enough on the ground. Aug 12, 2026. JPost

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IDF conducts strikes in southern Lebanon as LAF continues to operate in pilot zones - report. According to the LAF, Israel's actions consistently hinder its ability to operate in the pilot zones and work to return south Lebanese residents to their homes.  JPost

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Pakistan Invites Muslim Nations to Join the New ‘Islamic NATO’. Christine WilliamsAugust 12, 2026 A threat – potentially rivaling that of Iran. FPM

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Iran's plan to drag out war until end of Trump era. A senior adviser to the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Iran could prolong the war until President Trump leaves the White House. Nitzan Tsur. Aug 12, 2026, 8:38 PM INN

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Near Cave of Patriarchs: Muslim cleric arrested for incitement, encouraging terror attacks. Police arrest 70-year-old cleric from Hebron who allegedly encouraged riots and violence. Israel National News. Published: Aug 12, 2026, 9:20 PM (GMT+3) INN

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Hunter Biden, Tucker Carlson Unite Over ‘Evil[sic] Incarnate’ Netanyahu, Blame Israel for Laptop Scandal. August 12, 2026 Algemeiner

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Abdul El-Sayed Lies About ‘Apartheid’: Israeli Arabs Have Full Rights, and Say So Themselves. By Jason Shvili. August 12, 2026.

Last week, Abdul El-Sayed, who just won the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, accused Israel of, among other calumnies, the crime of “apartheid.” Like similar anti-Israel libels currently in vogue (e.g., “genocide,” “starvation”), the assertion that Israel is an apartheid state has no factual basis — indeed, the inverse is true. Israel isn’t just the only democracy in the Middle East and North Africa; it’s also the region’s only country that grants equal rights to all its citizens.

Israeli Arabs enjoy rights and freedoms that many in Arab states can only dream of. Israeli Arabs are allowed to vote in free elections, work in any profession, and hold office at every level of Israel’s government. By comparison, most Arab countries deny their people even the most basic rights.

Furthermore, there’s no limitation in Israeli society to Israeli Arab achievement. Not only do Israeli Arabs have equal opportunities to their Jewish counterparts; they are also overrepresented in some important sectors of Israeli society, especially health care. In contrast, opportunities for people in most Arab countries, especially women and religious or ethnic minorities, are severely limited.

This contrast in political and social freedoms between Israeli and Palestinian societies is dramatic. Indeed, human rights activists truly concerned about “freeing Palestine” would better direct their criticisms toward the Palestinian Authority (PA), which tyrannically governs daily Palestinian life in the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”), and Hamas, until recently the iron-fisted dictatorship in Gaza.

If we’re discussing apartheid, it’s noteworthy that while two million Arabs live free in Israel, no Jews are allowed in Palestinian-ruled lands. In fact, in Palestinian-ruled territories, even selling land to Jews is punishable by death.

While, like every Western democracy, Israel is a work in progress that strives constantly to correct its imperfections, it is, according to many Israeli Arabs, a veritable paradise.

Israel is, for its Arab citizens, the complete opposite of apartheid. Apartheid, which originated in South Africa, separated blacks and whites in public spaces, transportation, and residential zones, and it denied most civil liberties to its black citizens. Nothing could be farther from reality in Israel.

The scope of civil rights guaranteed to Israeli Arabs, as well as other non-Jews, is unparalleled in the Arab Middle East and North Africa. All citizens of Israel are guaranteed basic rights consistent with a modern democracy, including equality before the law, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, women’s rights, and rights for sexual minorities (i.e., LGBTQ+). Women’s rights are rare in the Arab world, where wife abuse is legal in many places, and LGBTQ+ rights are non-existent.

Like other democracies, Israel holds free and fair elections. All citizens are eligible to vote and hold office. Although some Arab states such as Jordan and Kuwait hold elections, there are many restrictions and no path to regime change, regardless of who wins.

Israeli Arabs have served at every level of power in the country — as Knesset members, cabinet ministers, and Supreme Court justices. Khaled Kabub, a Muslim Arab, is currently a Supreme Court Justice. A previous Supreme Court Justice, Salim Joubran, a Christian Arab, was once chair of Israel’s Central Elections Committee, the body that supervises Israel’s elections. None of this would be possible if Israel were an apartheid state.

No wonder Yoseph Haddad, a prominent Arab Israeli activist and former IDF soldier, wrote, “I am thankful to have been born in the State of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.”

“Israel is the best country for Arabs living in the Middle East,” according to Yahya Mahamid, a Muslim Arab, IDF veteran, and activist. One reason is that Israel boasts opportunities for its Arab citizens that don’t exist in Arab states. Indeed, Israeli Arabs participate in all levels of Israel’s economy and society. The unemployment rate for Israel’s Arab citizens — 2.8% in 2025 — dwarfs unemployment in most Arab states.

Furthermore, although Israeli Arabs (except Druze) aren’t required to serve in the IDF, thousands do, including Ella Waweya, a Muslim Arab, who heads the IDF’s Arabic media division, and holds the rank of lieutenant-colonel, the fifth-highest rank in the IDF.

Israeli Arabs live in freedom, while Arab people in the Palestinian territories suffer under dictatorship. Whereas approximately two million Israeli Arabs enjoy the fruits of democracy, their fellow Arabs in Palestinian-ruled territory languish under regimes that oppress and brutalize them on a daily basis.

Like all non-Israeli-citizens, Palestinians living in Judea and Samaria, and Gaza are not governed by Israeli law, but by autocratic dictatorships. Indeed, in the Palestinian-ruled territories, neither basic rights nor rule of law exists. Torture, arbitrary arrest, censorship, and even summary executions are commonplace.

Nor is democracy practiced. Elections haven’t been held in the Palestinian-ruled territories since 2006. PA President Mahmoud Abbas is now in the 20th year of his four-year term, and though he has repeatedly promised new elections, he has never delivered.

Non-Muslims, mostly Christians, in Palestinian-ruled territory are subject to severe persecution. Not surprisingly, since the Oslo Accords were signed in the 1990s, the Palestinian Christian population has nosedived. Even in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, Christians have been reduced to a tiny minority, while Jews are entirely prohibited from living anywhere in the Palestinian-ruled territories.

Abdul El-Sayed lied: Israel isn’t perfect, but it’s a paradise compared to Arab states. Thus, it’s not surprising that, according to a 2025 report by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), 67% of Israeli Arabs consider Israel a good place to live — slightly more than the 65% of Jews who said the same.

Anyone who claims Israel is an apartheid state would be wise to 1) heed the words of Israeli Arabs themselves, who sing the praises of the Jewish State, and 2) examine the facts, which prove that Israel is an oasis of freedom and prosperity for Arabs in a region mostly characterized by tyranny and poverty. Algemeiner

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21 years later, first families reestablish their homes in Ganim. 'Today, we are bringing life back to Ganim,' Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan said at a ceremony marking the reestablishment of the community, 21 years after the Disengagement. 'Ganim will become a huge community-10 times its current size!' Israel National News Aug 13, 2026, 1:53 PM INN

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Hiking should not be a crime punishable by death - opinion. Israeli settlers entering a Palestinian village can be seen from two perspectives.

By Yisrael Medad August 13, 2026.

([2]. A Palestinian assailant attacks Israeli hikers near Gilad Farm, northern West Bank, July 24, 2026. photo credit: VIA WALLA).

If you are opposed to the enterprise of the resettling of Jews in the West Bank, ambivalent on the matter, or even an uninterested news consumer, the version of events of Friday, July 24, that you probably have absorbed since then has gone through a process of extreme distillation and ideological refinement.

One news site informed its readers that “Israeli settlers entered a Palestinian village.” Then, it added, residents of an outpost community “came out to repel the settlers.” After that, according to the same news source, one of the Arab villagers “snatched a settler’s weapon and opened fire.”

The background framing included additional information to wit: “Armed settlers had trespassed, [which is] consistent with the common strategy of ‘initiating friction.’”

Blame has been apportioned; Jewish guilt has been declared.

Reactions to the incident. At 1:40 p.m. on the day of the incident, only five hours or so after the shootings, Ksenia Svetlova posted on X/Twitter.

A decade ago, Svetlova was a member of the Knesset for the Zionist Union (an alliance of the Labor Party and Tzipi Livni’s Hatnua). Currently, she is an associate fellow at Chatham House in London, where former prime minister Ehud Barak memorably declared on March 27, 2023, that some members of Israel’s government were “lunatic racists on the extreme Right.”

In her tweet, Svetlova reversed the narrative, as if it were Arabs who had illegally entered a Jewish settlement.

She then returned to relative reality, highlighting the narrative of settler violence. According to Svetlova, the hike in which Israeli settlers entered a Palestinian region was in Area A (yet the road they were walking on was actually in Area B), and they entered the village (but in actuality, the Arabs came out).

Despite the video evidence she posted, Svetlova, as did others, ignored the fact that the hikers, as well as the IDF soldiers who arrived, and Capt. (res.) Benayahu Mellet, who was ordered to join in, all fired numerous shots in the air for over a minute, intentionally trying not to harm any of the Arabs.

Another, Dror Etkes of Kerem Navot, which is an anti-occupation NGO that “monitors and researches Israeli land policy in the West Bank,” also posted about the incident on Twitter.

He had a narrative that claimed the incident was in fact over, except that the “settlers” then arrived. Etkes’s perspective can be demonstrated by a later X post, from July 28, in which he called the head of the IDF Central Command “settler IDF apartheid General [Avi] Bluth.”

The military’s investigation into the incident was published on August 5. It was not withheld from the public, just as an investigation into another sensitive incident that occurred in November 2024, when two soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon while investigating a historical site, was published. The IDF found that Mellet acted with “extreme heroism” and defined the Arabs involved as “terrorists.”

The participants insisted they were not properly in the village. True, the report found that security authorities had not approved the outing, but the Shomron Brigade did receive preliminary but very unclear information about it several hours beforehand, and that the Arab residents were those who initiated contact, confronting the hikers.

Hiking or a provocation? I will not second-guess the act of unstrapping one’s rifle from one’s body, which seemingly led to the weapon being snatched, or even if it was wise to get so close to the rioters, even pushing and shoving them. Other points need to be addressed, nevertheless.

Walking through the Land of Israel should not be considered a crime, nor a provocation, and certainly not an act that permits local Arabs to throw stones at the hikers or to seek to do them violent injury.

I myself experienced a similar situation back in 1989, in the pre-Oslo Accords period. We were nowhere near a village but rather deep in a wadi, which provided an advantage to the stone throwers. Our presence was enough to have them initiate violence. We were not in a grove of olive trees, in a field of barley, or trudging through someone’s backyard. We were Jews.

We were doing nothing more than what president Yitzhak Ben-Zvi and his wife, Rachel Yanait, had done before World War I – we were walking throughout the country.

Hikes were also part of the early Yishuv school system, and Israeli writer, lecturer, and geographer Zev Vilnay made a living leading them.

([3]. Palestinians throw stones at Jewish settlers as they establish a pastoral outpost at the site where Jewish settler Yehuda Sherman was murdered, near the village of Beit Mirin north of Nablus in the West Bank).

Further, the Palmach marched across Samaria and through the Judean Desert and made sure to visit Hebron in the early 1940s, at a time when the British banned entry to non-residents.

Exploring the land was, and continues to be, a natural Jewish act, in the spirit of: “Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it” (Genesis 13:17).

Yes, some Jewish residents beyond the Green Line are or can be violent. However, the “settler violence” campaign is a travesty of the facts and the context.

Worse, it is intended to cover up the numerous acts of Arab violence and terror, and the seriousness of the damage done and intended. Friday’s hike participants were not a bunch of vigilante hooligans.

A third lesson from the incident is that objective news seems not to be of any interest anymore.

Yasmin Levy of Haaretz, for instance, was quite convinced, as her July 26 TV review column suggested, ... Israeli TV distorted this latest West Bank violence.

If you clicked on Arutz Sheva or the Srugim website, however, you would see a very different picture.

Israeli politicians and public figures have the right to criticize and oppose policies. What we are witnessing, though, is a campaign, still on the fringes, of justifying Arab “resistance” to “colonialist occupation” while downgrading Arab terror.

From the Democrats Party chair Yair Golan’s words .. radical elements are now mourning a sheikh who grabbed a gun from a Jew who was using it to shove him away to then murder that Jew and shoot at a soldier. Even members of Golan’s party protested his description of the attack on the hikers as a “terror act.”

Hiking is a non-threatening endeavor and should not be thought of otherwise. It should not be considered a crime punishable by death.

The writer is a researcher, analyst, and commentator on political, cultural, and media issues. JPost

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Blow to Houthi propaganda apparatus. X has suspended the account of Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, which was used to disseminate the organization’s propaganda and claim responsibility for attacks and launches. Israel National News. Aug 13, 2026, 3:27 PM (GMT+3) INN

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Survey: Majority of Australians fear for religious safety after Bondi. Israel National News. Aug 13, 2026, 5:03 PM INN

Over half of Australians doubt all faiths can live safely after Bondi massacre, CAM reports. Growing concern over antisemitism and social cohesion intensifies calls for local government action ahead of landmark national summit in Bondi Beach. Aug 13, 2026. JPost

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Tradition or politics | Poll discloses what really irritates secular Israelis. 57% of secular Israelis support religious presence in the public realm, provided it is not forced. Two-thirds of young Israelis view Judaism in a positive light. Israel National News. Aug 13, 2026, 10:03 AM INN

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CENTCOM: 59 vessels redirected as part of Iran naval blockade. Aug 13, 2026 JNS

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Anthropic in talks to buy Israeli AI startup Decart for $6 billion. Aug 13, 2026 JNS

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Tel Aviv square officially named Hostages Square. Aug 13, 2026 JNS

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IDF fires on Gaza terrorist who crossed truce line. Aug 13, 2026 JNS

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Girl, 9, lightly wounded in Palestinian rock attack in Samaria. Aug 13, 2026 JNS

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Israeli forces foil imminent attack, arrest three in Jenin. Aug 13, 2026 JNS

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Israel receives thousands of tons of US military equipment. Aug 13, 2026 JNS

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: The IAF on Thursday attacked a Gazan terror cell in Khan Yunis, the second "attack of choice" in two days after a pause in such attacks since a new US-Hamas deal in late July. ✍️ @Jeremybob1 On X

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IDF strikes Hamas commander in northern Gaza. Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov denies claims of a financial deal with the terror group. JNS Staff. Aug 13, 2026 JNS

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‘Deeply troubling’ how disproportionately Jews targeted in San Francisco, ADL says. Aaron Bandler. Aug 13, 2026 JNS

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‘Worried for our brothers and sisters,’ Jews near NYC say of Mamdani’s mayorship. Riki Zagelbaum. Aug 13, 2026. JNS

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Hamas plans to run in upcoming Palestinian elections, names status of Al-Aqsa Mosque core priority. Elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council are set to go ahead on November 28, the first in 20 years after Hamas won in January 2006. Hamas won 74 of the seats, with Fatah following behind. August 13, 2026 JPost

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Settler leaders denounce Kusra violence: ‘This is not our way’. Yesha Council chairman Yisrael Ganz and Beit El council head Shai Alon condemn extremists, with Alon warning that the violence is causing “irreversible damage” to Israel and the settlement movement. August 13, 2026 JPost

The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: Senior settler leaders denounced violence around the Palestinian village of Kusra, saying it was “not our way” and warning that it was causing “irreversible damage” to Israel and the settlement movement. August 13, 2026 X

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: What does Israel need to stay secure? HaBithonistim chairman Erez Winner argues that Israel must rethink its security strategy: from strengthening the IDF and national service to preparing for drones, internal threats and greater self-reliance. August 13, 2026 X

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Lesson of the UAE, Abraham Accords: Lasting peace begins in the classroom - opinion. But six years later, after the Middle East has gone through one of the most turbulent periods in its history, a deeper lesson can be identified - true peace begins in the classroom. August 13, 2026 JPost

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: The controversial law aimed at relieving prison overcrowding has inflamed Lebanon’s sectarian divisions, with Islamist protesters denouncing provisions that would exclude some prisoners from the amnesty. ✍️ @DanielleGreyman. August 13, 2026 on X

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IDF kills Hamas commander who invaded Israel on October 7 in targeted Gaza strike. Abu Kamil was among the terrorists who invaded Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, and he continued to work toward the goal of harming Israeli soldiers and civilians over the past three years. August 13, 2026 JPost

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) killed Hamas commander Jamal Mahmoud Abu Kamil in a targeted strike in Gaza City on Thursday, according to a statement from the military. August 13, 2026. on X

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Social Media Fails to Curb Rising Antisemitism, With 80% of Reported Posts Still Online, New Study Finds. Aug 13, 2026 Algemeiner

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Huckabee defends Jews of Judea and Samaria: 'Unsettlers' are the problem. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee defended Judea and Samaria communities while condemning Israelis involved in the Qusra incident as a harmful minority. Israel National News. Aug 13, 2026, 10:00 PM (GMT+3) INN

U.S. Ambassador Huckabee Clarifies: Lawbreakers, Not Settlers, Are the Problem in Judea and Samaria. August 13, 2026 JFeed

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Iran Demands Gulf States Accept Its Regional Dominance. August 13, 2026 JFeed

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Gaza lookouts warn of October 7 echoes as Hamas tests IDF response. IDF lookouts warn Hamas terrorists are approaching Gaza's yellow line daily and say troops face delays obtaining authorization to open fire. Israel National News. Aug 13, 2026, 10:55 PM (GMT+3) INN

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Report: Kushner planning Israel visit to advance Trump Gaza plan. Israel National News. Aug 13, 2026, 11:42 PM INN

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Hamas Rejects Call to Begin Disarmament Process, Sets New Conditions. August 13, 2026 JFeed

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Israel Sends Humanitarian Delegation to Colombia Following Earthquake. August 13, 2026 JFeed

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Two UAE state vessels targeted in Strait of Hormuz. Israel National News. Aug 14, 2026, 2:07 AM INN

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US Treasury Secretary: Iran facing 'unprecedented' economic isolation. Israel National News. Aug 14, 2026, 3:15 AM INN

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Emotional tribute Idan Amedi weeps, dedicating song to Hadar Goldin's parents. Itzik Brandwein. Aug 14, 2026, 5:18 AM INN

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Woke NYC mayor humiliated by NYPD after suggesting his 'private' wife should have taxpayer-funded police bodyguards for trip to Syria. 03:14 BST 12 Aug 2026, updated 15:11 BST 12 Aug 2026 By Jack Toledo. The New York City Police Department has denied the mayor's claims that his wife will be getting a special escort for her upcoming trip to Syria.

Zohran Mamdani had insisted that officers had recommended that his wife, Rama Duwaji, be accompanied by taxpayer-funded bodyguards for the journey. DailyMail

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Palestinian Authority rebuilds monuments to terrorists “immediately” Ephraim D. Tepler and Itamar Marcus|Aug 13, 2026. The Palestinian Authority makes the glorification of terrorists one of its core values. Besides doing so in speeches, media, and its education system, it invests public resources to ensure that monuments honoring terrorists are put up in the public space so that everyone should know that the PA reveres terrorists. When monuments to terror leaders are damaged or removed, restoring them becomes an immediate priority. The PA sees these monuments as a means of elevating terrorists as Palestinian national heroes and passing their terror legacy to future generations.

When Israeli forces demolished a terror-glorifying monument in Tulkarem honoring Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) founder George Habash, the municipality wasted no time. According to its spokesman, the mayor issued explicit instructions to begin repairing it "immediately".. PalWarch

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Qatari State Daily: Muslim US President Coming Soon | MEMRI. August 13, 2026 MEMRI

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‘Reminiscent of what you’d find behind Iron Curtain,’ attorney says of ongoing effort to sue Mamdani admin for records. “We will keep litigating until we get to the truth,” Randy Mastro told JNS, after oral arguments in New York County Supreme Court. “I’m sure the court will hear us when these procedural issues are behind us.” Rikki Zagelbaum. (Aug. 14, 2026 / JNS) The first hearing of a case, over which Gerald Lebovits, a New York County Supreme Court judge, presided on Thursday was about whether New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration has illegally withheld records about his revocation, on his first day on the job, of his predecessor’s executive orders protecting Jews. It also doubled as a legal classroom for and a pitch to law students from New York University and China about how rewarding a legal career can be, in which City Hall’s lawyer, the plaintiff’s attorney and the judge gave their spiels about why they chose their profession.

“The law is a noble profession. You can do so much good in your life in the law,” Randy Mastro, an attorney and former first deputy mayor of New York City, told the students. “Law is a profession. It’s not a job.”.. JNS

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UAE tanker attacked in Hormuz, US Energy Secretary says 9 million oil barrels pass through daily. Vance says Iran won’t obtain nuclear weapon • US CENTCOM denies reports of soldiers jumping off USS Lincoln • Jared Kushner plans to visit Israel, Egypt to discuss Gaza. August 14, 2026. JPost

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Polish Soccer Fans Taunt Hapoel Tel Aviv Fans With Nazi Salute During UEFA Conference League Match. Aug 14, 2026. Algemeiner

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Chinese money used to support pro-Palestinian protests. US officials investigating suspected covert Chinese support for Code Pink and its activities in the UK and links to groups involved in pro-Palestinian protests. Israel National News Aug 14, 2026, 4:53 PM INN

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Israeli Consul. 'Mamdani is failing to protect New York Jewish community'. Israel National News. Aug 14, 2026, 2:18 PM INN

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Mein Kampf found at new London Arabic bookstore sparks outrage. Copies of Hitler’s Mein Kampf in Arabic found at a London bookstore have triggered accusations of antisemitism, while the store’s owners dispute claims that the book was prominently displayed. Israel National News. Published: Aug 14, 2026, 6:06 PM (GMT+3)

... According to a report by The Telegraph, the book was being sold at Aafaq, a new Arabic bookstore in London located around half a mile from a synagogue. Its presence at the store prompted criticism and allegations of antisemitism.

The British Jewish News also reported on the controversy, saying that three copies of Mein Kampf were found at the bookstore. The store’s owners, however, rejected claims that the book had been prominently displayed or actively promoted. INN

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Radicalism runs in the family. El-Sayed's Half-Sister Faces Renewed Scrutiny For Concerning October 7 Posts | WATCH. Eman Abdelhadi, Assistant Professor at University of Chicago and maternal half-sister of Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, faces renewed scrutiny over October 7, 2023 social media posts, activism record, and alleged video. Bianca Jones. Aug 14, 2026 [...] Abdelhadi holds a position in the Department of Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago, where she studies religion, gender, identity, and Muslim American communities. She describes herself as a "queer Muslim activist" and has advocated for a "stateless, communized society" and called for abolishing the police. The current wave of criticism centers on two overlapping controversies: Abdelhadi's stated positions on the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel, and the circulation of an alleged video that conservative outlets claim shows her celebrating the assault. Her activism includes pro-Palestinian posts, like one on October 7, 2023, with "Morning freedom" and a Palestinian flag, which critics see as celebrating Hamas's attack that killed about 1,200 in Israel, while she describes it as support for resistance. JFeed

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Gaza Operation. Hamas Commander Who Held Hostages Killed. Mohammed Mushtaha, a company commander in Hamas's military wing who participated in the October 7 massacre and held several Israeli hostages captive, was killed in a July strike in northern Gaza Gila Isaacson, Srugim Aug 14, 2026 JFeed

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Israel Katz Orders Police to Take Over Law Enforcement in Judea and Samaria. Aug 14, 2026. JFeed

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US Ambassador to Lebanon Links End of Israeli Attacks to Hezbollah Disarmament. The US ambassador to Lebanon stated that Israeli attacks in Lebanon will stop if Hezbollah hands over its weapons. When asked when the Israeli strikes would cease, the ambassador replied: "Tell Hezbollah that if it hands over its weapons, everything will stop." Aug 14, 2026. JFeed

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A Jewish teen’s departure reflects Belgium’s ‘silent exodus’. “Before Oct. 7, I was Raphael. Then I became ‘the Jew,’” a new immigrant to Israel told JNS amid a steady stream of Jews leaving his native country. Canaan Lidor. (Aug. 14, 2026 / JNS) BRAINE-L’ALLEUD, Belgium—What could drive a 16-year-old boy from an affluent home in Belgium to leave behind his doting family, a prestigious private high school and the captaincy of his soccer team, in favor of a boarding school in a faraway war zone? For Raphael, a Jewish teen from the Brussels area, the answer was more than two years of antisemitic threats and intimidation, according to him and his family. August 14, 2026 JNS

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Uruguay: Screening of Hamas propaganda film at university canceled after outcry. The film is scheduled to be shown at Cornell in October. Etgar Lefkovits. (Aug. 14, 2026 / JNS) The screening of a Mexican documentary film on life in Gaza, produced in collaboration with Hamas, which was scheduled to be held at Uruguay’s largest university, has been canceled, an American Jewish organization said on Wednesday. The screening of the 2025 film “La Gran Palestina” or “Greater Palestine” at Universidad de la Republica on Wednesday evening was nixed after a public outcry, with opposition leaders asking how a propaganda piece by a terrorist group was scheduled to be shown at a public university.

The film was made “in collaboration with the combatants of the resistance (Hamas),” its accompanying flier states.. August 14, 2026 JNS

Turkish FM Fidan threatens Israel after posing next to map erasing Jewish state. Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday of threatening the Jewish state, a day after he posed alongside a map depicting Israel as “Palestine” and excluding the Golan Heights. August 14, 2026 JNS

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IDF dismantles booby-trapped Hezbollah structure in Southern Lebanon. August 14, 2026 JNS

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Jayapal encourages student groups to host antisemite Hasan Piker after UW nixes official event. August 14, 2026 JNS

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European soccer org to probe Nazi salutes reportedly directed at Israeli soccer fans during elimination match. August 14, 2026 JNS

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Prime Minister of Israel @IsraeliPM: A revealing exchange on @CNN: PMO Spokesman @DoronSpielman addresses the violence in Judea and Samaria - and then gets a truly bizarre question about Jews praying together.

Watch his response. Aug 14, 2026. on X

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Netanyahu barred the Palestinian Authority from Gaza - what about the West Bank? - analysis. The lessons of October 7 demand a new approach to the growing security threat posed by the Palestinian Authority. August 14, 2026 JPost

The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: Opinion: The Palestinian Authority was excluded from Gaza for a reason, but its security forces in the West Bank raise a separate and potentially serious security question. ✍️ @MauriceHirsch4. August 14, 2026 on X

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A Netanyahu loss in Israel’s looming election won’t slow the hatred. Potential successors would be advised to start mentally preparing themselves now to take on the role of “Global-Villain-in-Chief.” Ben Cohen. August 14, 2026 JNS

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: US forces have redirected 62, disabled three, and boarded two ships attempting to breach the country’s blockade against Iran in the Arabian Sea, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X/Twitter on Friday. August 14, 2026 on X

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: IDF troops opened fire on a group of Palestinians who threw a Molotov cocktail and stones at soldiers near Beit Fajar, the military said in a statement Friday night. August 14, 2026 on X

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Trump says US will hit Iran hard economically after Bessent issues warning. His comments came a day after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US was going to apply measures that have "never been seen" on Tehran as soon as next week. August 14, 2026 JPost

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The lie of apartheid: The 2026 Israel election is a display of the country's diversity - opinion. Regardless of the final outcome of this election, it looks like this race could finally bury the apartheid myth about Israel. August 14, 2026 JPost

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: Opinion: Israel’s October election puts the “apartheid” accusation to the test, as Arab voters and parties may play a decisive role in determining who forms the next government. August 14, 2026 on X

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Man disrupts synagogue services in Manhattan, arrested for assault.

New York City police officers fence off and guard the Jewish Orthodox synagogue Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, on May 12, 2026, in the borough of Queens, New York City. Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images. (Aug. 15, 2026 / JNS) A 46-year-old man was arrested on Friday night for allegedly assaulting a Jewish worshipper and a security member at Central Synagogue, a reform congregation in Manhattan, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement. JNS

Bronx man arrested, charged with hate crimes after disrupting NYC synagogue services. Larry Montes, 46, was charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime for the incident at Manhattan's Central Synagogue. August 15, 2026. JPost

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The Iran strike Trump halted: ‘We were about to destroy what remained of the regime’. Senior government official claims Israel was hours away from a massive operation that was stopped at the last minute last week. Also, Netanyahu’s successor, who still does not know he is one. Amit Segal. Aug. 15, 2026 JNS

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Rashida Tlaib rally canceled at Florida venue after lawmaker calls event ‘anti-Jew’. A Florida venue canceled a planned Rashida Tlaib rally after complaints from a Jewish state lawmaker, citing security concerns and its commitment to the Jewish community. August 15, 2026 JPost

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This week in Jewish history: Moses ascends Mount Sinai, a massacre shakes Hebron. A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars. August 15, 2026

Elul 1, 2448 (1312 BCE): Moses ascended Mount Sinai for the third time and remained there for 40 days, during which time he obtained God’s wholehearted forgiveness for the people of Israel. He then came down on the 10th of Tishrei (Yom Kippur) with the second Tablets of the Law (Exodus 33:11). Ever since, the month of Elul serves as the “month of Divine mercy and forgiveness.”

Aug. 15, 2005: The Gaza Disengagement began with 14,000 IDF soldiers and police officers forcibly evicting more than 8,500 Jewish residents who chose to remain in their homes in 25 towns. The government’s hopes that the Disengagement would open “new opportunities” in relations with the Palestinians were bitterly disappointed. The vacated settlements were used to launch terrorist attacks against Israel, including unremitting rocket fire on the nearby Israeli town of Sderot, and eventually led to Oct. 7.

Aug. 18, 1790: In response to a letter from the Jewish community of Rhode Island, president George Washington responded: “The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind… a policy worthy of imitation… For happily the Government of the United States, gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance… May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the goodwill of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid…” Washington’s letter is still housed in the Touro Synagogue in Newport, RI.

Aug. 19, 1845: Birthday of Baron Edmond de Rothschild, head of the French branch of the famed banking family. He was known as the “Father of the Yishuv” due to his financing almost single-handedly the pre-state agricultural villages of Rishon Lezion, Zichron Ya’acov, Gedera, Rosh Pina, and 30 others. He also established Israel’s wine industry when he helped Russian Jews flee pogroms in the 1880s and plant vineyards in Israel.

More famous birthdays, a massacre in Hebron.. Aug. 21, 1973: Birthday of Sergey Brin, American computer scientist, co-founder of Google, and one of the richest men in America.

Aug. 22, 1654: Jacob Barsimson, the first Jew known to settle in North America, arrived in New Amsterdam from Holland.

Aug. 23: Birthdays of Nobel Prize laureates in Economics, Kenneth Arrow (1921), “for his pioneering contributions to general economic equilibrium theory and welfare theory,” and Robert Solow (1924), for his work on the theory of economic growth.

Aug. 24, 1929: In Hebron, 67 Jewish men, women, and children were slaughtered, and scores were wounded, raped, and maimed by their Arab neighbors, who rioted for three days amid cries of “slaughter the Jews.” Jewish homes were pillaged, synagogues were desecrated, a Jewish hospital, which had provided treatment for Arabs, was attacked and ransacked, and the ancient Jewish community of Hebron, which had lived in relative peace for hundreds of years, was not revived until it was recaptured in the 1967 Six Day War.

Aug. 26, 1906: Birthday of Albert Sabin (Abram Saperstejn), developer of the “live” form of the polio vaccine, which does not require refrigeration and can be taken on a sugar cube. This development eliminated the need for needles and sterilization facilities, thereby making worldwide immunization possible. Sabin refused to patent his vaccine or profit from it, so that the low price would guarantee a more extensive spread of the treatment. He also developed vaccines for encephalitis and dengue fever.

Aug. 27, 1945: The 1,310 surviving Jewish refugees fleeing Europe who were forcibly transferred to Mauritius by the British government were allowed into Israel.

Aug. 28, 1903: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a fabricated antisemitic text purporting to describe a Jewish plot for global domination, was first published in serialized form in Zmaya, a St. Petersburg daily newspaper. Despite having been exposed as fraudulent, it has been translated into multiple languages and disseminated internationally. Henry Ford funded the printing of 500,000 copies that were distributed throughout the United States in the 1920s. Described as “probably the most influential work of antisemitism ever written,” to this day it remains widely available in numerous languages, in print and on the Internet, and continues to be presented by neo-fascist, fundamentalist groups as genuine.

Elul 18, 5494 (1734): After many years.. living under the guise of an ignorant clay-digger, Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hassidism, was instructed by his masters to reveal himself on his 36th birthday and begin to publicly disseminate his teachings, emphasizing the importance of joy and simple faith. Initially, his teachings encountered fierce opposition from the established leadership of the Jewish community, but by the time he passed away at age 62 on Shavuot of 1760, the movement he founded had spread significantly.

Sept. 1, 1967: In response to the Israeli offer to return the Sinai to Egypt and the Golan Heights to Syria after the Six Day War, the Arab League meeting in Khartoum, Sudan, issued its infamous three nos: “No to peace, no to recognition, no to negotiations.”

Sept. 2, 1796: Holland granted equality to its 50,000 Jews.

Sept. 4: Birthdays of Darius Milhaud (1892), French conductor, teacher, and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century, and David Broza (1955), Israeli folk-rock singer and songwriter who has been successful on the international rock circuit.

The Munich Olympics, Israeli history milestones.

Sept. 5, 1972: At the Olympic Village in Munich, eight Arab terrorists from the Black September Organization kidnapped and held Israeli athletes for ransom. During a botched attempt by German police to free them, 11 were murdered.

Elul 24, 5693 (1933): Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, revered author of over 30 works on Jewish ethics and laws, including Chafetz Chaim (“He who desires life”) and Mishna Berurah, founder of the Yeshiva of Radin, Talmudist, and moralist. Earning his living as a teacher and shopkeeper, he consistently refused a rabbinical post.

Sept. 7, 1827: Tsar Nicholas I issued a decree in Russia to draft Jewish boys at the age of 12, place them in schools for military education until age 18, and then obligate them to another 25 years of military service. Most of the 50,000 “cantonists” never returned to the families they had left at age 12.

Sept. 9, 1940: An Italian air raid on Tel Aviv killed 117 and wounded 150.

Sept. 10, 1952: Israel signed an agreement to accept reparation payments from West Germany for losses caused by the Nazis, over the objections of Menachem Begin, who was concerned that they could be perceived as somehow “absolving” Nazis of their heinous crimes.

Sept. 11, 1923: The Daf Yomi, a seven-year cycle of studying a page of Talmud a day, was initiated by Rabbi Meir Shapira of Lublin on Rosh Hashanah. Today, tens of thousands of Jews study the “daily daf” all over the world. JPost

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A $50 million hostage ransom funded al-Qaeda terrorism in West Africa, UN says. A new UN report detailing the use of the ransom did not identify the hostage or say who had made the payment, but three sources identified the country that made the payment as the UAE. August 15, 2026 JPost

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The new crescent: Mecca pact gives rise to a Saudi-led Sunni bloc, posing new challenges for Israel. BEHIND THE LINES: Anti-Israel statements of the emergent alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are not just rhetoric. Rather, they form an integral element in its strategy. August 15, 2026 JPost

The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: Anti-Israel sentiment appears to form an integral element in the strategy behind the recently signed Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. ✍️ @jonathan_spyer. August 15, 2026 on X

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Tehran says Hormuz 'cannot be seized' after Trump says he will declare strait US territory. Shipping traffic drops in Strait of Hormuz. UAE condemns 'aggressive Iranian attack' on tankers. August 15, 2026 JPost

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Trump, Hegseth deny concerns of poor conditions, low morale reported aboard USS Abraham Lincoln. US President Donald Trump that the over-260-day deployment was “not nearly long enough” when asked by reporters if he believed the deployment had gone on too long.  August 15, 2026 JPost

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Taliban celebrate ‘victory day’ five years after seizing power in Afghanistan. Five years after seizing power, the Taliban are projecting control in Afghanistan while rights groups warn of deepening humanitarian crises and sweeping restrictions on women. August 15, 2026 JPost

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Hezbollah Put Civilians in Headquarters to Trap Israel Into Striking Them Catherine Salgado | 5:12 PM on August 15, 2026. Hezbollah terrorists orchestrated a drone strike on Israeli troops after moving many civilians into their headquarters, knowing that Israel would retaliate by striking the headquarters. It was a trap to lure Israelis into unwittingly killing civilians. PJMedia

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Muslim Association promises 'Jew-free' incident will not recur at future youth events. This kind of 'offensive and discriminatory' statement has 'no place in the Muslim community,' say MAC in an update. Author of the article:By National Post Staff. Published Aug 15, 2026 NationalPost

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Iran says missing pilots are alive - in Qatar. After months of uncertainty, Tehran claims three pilots thought missing since their jets were shot down are alive and being held by Qatari forces. Orly Harari. Aug 16, 2026, 12:18 AM INN

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Watch: Tens of thousands at Western Wall for Selichot service. Israel National News. Aug 16, 2026, 4:44 AM INN

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Israeli universities rank among world’s top 100. Israel National News. Aug 16, 2026, 8:53 AM INN

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'He should worry about his own security'. Iranian lawmaker mocks Trump over past security logistics while rejecting the US President's statement that Washington will claim the Strait of Hormuz. Israel National News. Aug 16, 2026, 6:19 AM INN

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Hezbollah terrorist eliminated Wave of strikes in Lebanon after soldiers' injuries. Israel National News. Aug 16, 2026, 8:15 AM INN

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Israeli i24News Team Attacked in Ireland While Filming Docuseries on Antisemitism. by Shiryn Ghermezian. August 17, 2026.

A film crew from i24News’ Hebrew channel was assaulted over the weekend in Northern Ireland while filming a documentary series about antisemitism in Europe.

Reporter Yonatan Raveh and cameraman Nadav Abbas were interviewing people on the street in a popular bar area in Belfast when a local man realized they were from Israel and confronted the crew, according to i24News, which also shared a video of the incident on X.

The Irish man confronted the Israeli television crew and tried to grab their expensive camera equipment. When he failed, “he began actively disrupting the recording process and made obscene gestures toward the camera, which led to the filming being stopped,” i24 said. “The Israeli team tried to calm the situation and withdraw from the scene, but the suspect continued to follow them in a threatening manner, at which point the i24NEWS team turned to nearby security personnel and asked for help calling the police.” Algemeiner

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Hamas documents reveal long-term plan to open a northern front against Israel. Captured Hamas documents reveal more than a decade of efforts to establish a military infrastructure in Lebanon in coordination with Hezbollah and Iran, including plans for rockets, a 2,000-man fighting force and more. Israel National News. Published: Aug 16, 2026, 3:40 PM (GMT+3) INN

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After Trump threats. Iranian Speaker claims war victory Israel National News. Aug 17, 2026, 5:08 AM INN

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Since the beginning of 2026 | 100 members of Alawite community killed in sectarian crimes in several Syrian provinces. On Aug 17, 2026 Syriahr

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'Compel Israel to honor Gaza peace plan'. Following high-level talks in Egypt with US envoy Jared Kushner, Hamas demands the Board of Peace compel Israel to fulfill its commitments under the Gaza plan. Elad Benari. Aug 17, 2026, 2:17 AM INN

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'A slap in Israel's face'. Zvi Yehezkeli slams Kushner’s meeting with Hamas officials. Israel National News. Aug 17, 2026, 5:56 AM INN

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Israeli forces nab Palestinian digging tunnel shaft near Jerusalem security barrier. Israeli security forces arrested a Palestinian suspected of helping to dig a tunnel shaft near the Jerusalem security barrier, the Israel Police said on Monday.

Border Police officers were sent to the Kalandia area, near Ramallah in Samaria, after lookouts spotted several people digging beside the barrier, according to a police statement.

The suspects fled as officers approached, prompting a foot chase during which police fired shots into the air. Aug 17, 2026 JNS

WATCH: Police uncover tunnel near West Bank border fence outside Jerusalem. Observers from the Border Police patrol unit first noticed the group digging a tunnel near the fence and alerted officers in the field, who then went to the scene.  Aug 17, 2026 JPost

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Kurdish PM Barzani says Iranian drones targeted his office, intelligence chief’s home. Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said Iranian drones targeted his office and the home of the region’s intelligence chief, calling the attacks a “dangerous escalation” and “a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region.”

“These attacks will not deter us from carrying out our duties and protecting our citizens,” Barzani wrote on X, citing an investigation by the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit.

The KRG’s security agency earlier said that two drones launched from Iranian territory targeted the prime minister’s office, with no casualties reported. Aug 17, 2026 JNS

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Hamas detonates explosive, fires toward troops near Yellow Line in northern Gaza, IDF says. Aug 17, 2026 JNS

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Israel stations soldiers at entrances to homes in Palestinian village Qusra, residents remain confined. Aug 17, 2026 JNS

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Trump says Hamas agreed to disarm, urges Israel to halt Gaza strikes. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed to Fox News on Monday that Washington has a separate channel of communication with Hamas and said the terrorist group had agreed to give up its arms. Aug 17, 2026 JNS

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Emotional Return. Ex-Hostage Visits Gush Katif Museum. Ohana, held captive in Hamas tunnels for two years after being abducted on Simchat Torah, toured the Jerusalem museum preserving the memory of Gaza's former Jewish communities.

Eliana Fleming, Srugim Aug 17, 2026 JFeed

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UN helped Iran expand anti-drug crackdown despite execution concerns. Iranian seizures of meth increased from 30,393 kilograms in 2022 to 40,453 kg. in 2025 with the help of the technology, according to the United Nations. Aug 17, 2026 JPost

The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: The UN Office on Drugs and Crime is facing criticism after helping Iran expand its anti-drug enforcement capabilities despite widespread concerns that drug suspects face torture, unfair trials, and execution. ✍️ @DanielleGreyman. Aug 17, 2026 on X

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Meeting between Kushner and Hamas sparks unease among Palestinian Authority officials. Several officials were left perplexed following the meeting, with them expressing concern over the US's treatment of Hamas and its approach to the Palestinian issue. Aug 17, 2026 JPost

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Trump hints at endorsing candidate in Israeli election, despite calling it best to 'stay out'. Speaking to FOX's Trey Yingst in a phone call, Trump noted that "I think it's most appropriate for me to stay out of the Israeli elections," adding that "I may endorse somebody." JPost

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Israel, US agree Hamas weapons will go to US-led ISF for destruction, not to Palestinian government. Under the emerging Gaza framework, officials say Hamas weapons would be destroyed by the US-led ISF, while reconstruction and changes to Israel's military posture would depend on full disarmament. Aug 17, 2026 JPost

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Israel establishes working teams on Gaza disarmament and public health. The Prime Minister's Office announces two working teams following discussions with the Peace Council. The first team will handle disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza, with both Israel and the Peace Council committed to swift completion before reconstruction begins. The second team will address sanitation, clean water, and public health issues affecting Gaza and Israeli residents. Jfeed Staff. Aug 17, 2026. JFeed

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Mounting Antisemitic Attacks, Institutional Failures Leave Canadian Jews Asking: Stay or Go? August 17, 2026 Algemeiner

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Florida: Bipartisan leaders condemn candidate’s antisemitic attacks. Israel National News. Aug 18, 2026, 5:22 AM INN

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Hamas Built Secret Army in Lebanon. Intelligence analysis of documents seized in Gaza shows Hamas established an independent military presence in Lebanon with Iranian and Hezbollah backing, intended to open a northern front against Israel as part of a multi-arena strategyread more

Gila Isaacson, Kikar Hashabbat. Aug 17, 2026. ...Though the full plan was never completely realized, Hamas's military wing in Lebanon joined the fighting after October 7, 2023, claiming responsibility for multiple attacks against northern Israel. This active involvement illustrates that the Lebanese presence was part of a broader, carefully planned strategic concept aimed at opening another front against Israel within a multi-arena framework.

The intelligence disclosure adds to a series of revelations about Hamas's plans to expand the conflict. The IDF recently warned soldiers along the Yellow Line about Hamas attempts to reshape the narrative on the ground. Additionally, former U.S. President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met with senior Hamas figures in Egypt and pressed for immediate disarmament. JFeed

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Claims escalation in Gaza. Erdogan slams Israel in Trump call. Elad Benari. Aug 18, 2026, 2:07 AM INN

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Israel responsible? Reports of unusual airstrike on airbase deep in Syria. Yitz Goldberg. Aug 18, 2026, 8:07 AM INN

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After 44 years: Remains of last Sultan Yaqub MIA found. IDF representatives inform the family of Yehuda Katz that his remains have been located, 44 years after he went missing in the Battle of Sultan Yaqub.

Israel National News. Aug 18, 2026, 8:59 AM

...Katz was the last soldier from the Battle of Sultan Yaqub in 1982 to be classified as missing in action.

The finding of his remains brings a years-long intelligence and military saga to an end. In 2019, the body of Zechariah Baumel was returned to Israel through Russian mediation.

In 2025, a special secret Mossad mission brought the body of Zvi Feldman home.

Katz, Baumel, and Feldman were classified as missing in action after the Battle of Sultan Yaqub, which occurred on June 11th, 1982, at a crossroads south of the village of Sultan Yaqub in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, during the First Lebanon War. INN

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ISIS attack plot targeting Be’er Sheva nightclub foiled. A 20-year-old Negev resident is indicted for allegedly planning an ISIS-inspired attack on a Be’er Sheva nightclub and seeking to join the terror group in Syria. Israel National News Aug 18, 2026, 11:40 AM INN

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Kushner: Gaza demilitarization could begin within 30 days. “And hopefully filling in some of the tunnels as well in the next 60 to 90 days,” the Trump administration envoy said. Aug 18, 2026. JNS

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Did the US offer Hamas a path to power in exchange for disarming? Senior Fatah leader alleged that Hamas obtained assurances that it could participate in the upcoming PA elections. Gaza War (2023) Aug 18, 2026. PalWatch

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Israeli envoy Leiter: Hamas violated Gaza ceasefire 229 times since Aug. 3. August 19, 2026 Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said on Tuesday that Hamas has committed 229 ceasefire violations since Aug. 3, in addition to 162 crossings of the Yellow Line, the boundary to which the Israeli military withdrew under the Trump administration’s peace plan.

In a post on X, Leiter accused the terrorist group of systematically violating U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan by refusing to disarm, smuggling weapons and materials into Gaza, rebuilding underground military infrastructure, recruiting and training terrorists, planting explosives and preparing attacks against IDF. JNS

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Israel confirms Syria airstrikes. Netanyahu’s office confirms strikes on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase and warns Damascus over Turkish troop deployment, saying Israel will not tolerate threats. Israel National News Aug 18, 2026, 11:36 PM INN

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Unusual strike at Gaza Port. Nukhba commanders gathered for meeting - IDF strikes. Uzi Baruch. Aug 18, 2026, 9:57 PM INN

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Dem socialist wins Florida Senate primary, but GOP incumbent favorite to keep seat. Angie Nixon beat Alex Vindman although he out-raised her by more than 16 times. JNS Staff. Aug 18, 2026. JNS

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Until further notice. UAE halts trade and financial transactions with Iran. Israel National News. Aug 19, 2026, 12:09 AM INN

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Florida primary. Anti-Israel progressive Angie Nixon scores upset. Israel National News Aug 19, 2026, 4:15 AM INN

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Huckabee to Israeli media: 'Another Iran war could happen if regime rejects diplomacy'. Israel National News. Aug 19, 2026. INN

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BBC rules ‘moneybags Rothschild’ phrase not antisemitic. British broadcaster's highest complaints panel rejects complaint over phrase referencing well-known Jewish family in decision called 'beyond compregension.' Israel National News. Published: Aug 19, 2026, 3:33 PM (GMT+3)

The BBC's highest complaints panel has rejected the accusation that the use of the phrase "moneybags Rothschild" is antisemitic, the Jewish Chronicle reported.

A listener had submitted a complaint after the phrase was uttered during the Gardeners’ Question Time radio program. However, the Editorial Complaints Unit (ECU) ruled that the phrase would not “perpetuate prejudice" in the context in which it was used because “the Jewishness of the Rothschild family was not referred to."

The ruling was condemned by Jewish leaders. Lord Eric Pickles, the former chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), called the decision “beyond comprehension" and stated that the phrase was “inappropriate and antisemitic, almost comically so."

Conspiracy theories about the wealth of the Rothschild family have long been used by antisemites to justify actions against Jews. The Nazis used Rothschild conspiracy theories as part of their anti-Jewish propaganda in the 1930s.

The BBC has faced numerous accusations of bias and antisemitism in its coverage of Israel and Jewish issues in recent years.

In November of 2023, the corporation published an apology after falsely claiming that IDF troops were targeting medical teams in battles in and around the Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

Before that, the BBC falsely accused Israel of being responsible for an explosion at a hospital in Gaza, which the IDF proved was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket. The network later acknowledged that “it was false to speculate" on the explosion.

Last year, the BBC faced scrutiny for using the son of a senior Hamas official as a narrator in its documentary “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone."

Following the criticism, the British broadcaster acknowledged that there were “serious flaws" in the program.

In January 2026, the BBC was forced to apologize after the introduction to its International Holocaust Memorial Day conference omitted the fact that the six million victims murdered by the Nazis were Jews, with the omission being condemned as "hurtful, disrespectful and wrong". INN

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DSA Accuses Rubio of Cuban Genocide. August 19, 2026. By Daniel Greenfield. Everything the Left doesn’t like is genocide. FPM

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Abdul El-Sayed’s Mother Worked for Group That Funded Al-Qaeda. August 19, 2026. By Daniel Greenfield . Transferred money to Specially Designated Global Terrorist. [4] ...Exhibit 349 [5] shows Elkomy transferring $20,772.88 to IARA boss Khalid Al-Sudani. He’s since been listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Her name appears on transfers and correspondence involving money being moved to Iraq, the terrorist occupied territories in Israel and other terror conflict zones. FOM

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Forensics debunk ‘settler arson’ claim, and not for first time. Investigators found that a short circuit caused house fire, contradicting allegation that Israelis deliberately set it ablaze. David Israel/TPS-IL. (Aug. 21, 2026 / David Israel/TPS-IL) A fire at a Palestinian residential building in the Hebron area on Thursday morning was caused by an electrical short circuit, according to an investigation by Israeli police and fire officials, contradicting claims that masked Israelis deliberately set the building ablaze. No injuries were reported.

“I’ve been here for eight months, and I’ve seen people make unauthorized electrical connections, running cables from one building to another and using makeshift outlets. It’s not professionally installed. The electric company didn’t do it for them,” a police spokesperson told The Press Service of Israel. JNS

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International Atomic Energy Agency Digs TONS of Nuclear Material Buried in Clandestine Site in Syria! al-Sharaa Regime Reverses Plan and REFUSES To Hand Over the Findings. Gateway Pundit. August 18, 2026 | Paul Serran. Ahmed al-Sharaa – Montage Image Wiki Commons A former al-Qaida terrorist is now sitting on a treasure trove of nuclear material that can be weaponized. A United Nations team has excavated a ‘previously undisclosed site’ in Syria and found several tons of nuclear material from the days of the Bashar al-Assad rule. The agreed plan was for the International Atomic Energy Agency to remove the material from Syria – but that’s not what’s going to happen, anymore. Syria is now holding the nuclear material, and refuses the handover, saying ‘it will remain under IAEA safeguards for peaceful civilian use’. .. GWP

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'We won't allow enemies to establish themselves on our borders'. LTG Eyal Zamir tours security zone in southern Syria, warns escalation could develop on any front and praises reservists who have served hundreds of days since the war began. Israel National News. Aug 19, 2026, 6:43 PM INN

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Israel won’t permit significant military buildup on Syrian border, IDF chief says. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, touring the Syrian front on Wednesday, said Israel wouldn’t “allow hostile forces to establish themselves on our borders.”

His remarks came two days after Israel struck the Abu Duhur military air base in Syria’s Idlib province, a response to a planned deployment of Turkish troops at the base.

“We are operating in a multi-front reality, in which the challenges are constantly changing and developing—the Syrian arena is one of them,” Zamir said.

“We see what is happening and are monitoring the changes on the Syrian front,” he added, saying that Israel must prevent the formation of any significant military threat on its borders.

Israel had previously warned it would not permit Turkey to build up forces in Syria. Aug 19, 2026. JNS

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: The head of Israel's Mossad spy agency, Roman Gofman, held a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani last week, prior to the airstrike on a Syrian military base. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said the strikes were due to Turkish military presence in Syria. Aug 19, 2026 on X

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Within less than 30 minutes: IDF eliminates two terrorists in Gaza. Israel National News. Aug 19, 2026, 3:44 PM INN

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Big day in Judea and Samaria: Two communities granted official status. as Israeli localities. Israel National News. Aug 19, 2026, 6:19 PM INN

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IDF: Over 2 million tons of food entered Gaza since ceasefire. Israel National News. Aug 19, 2026, 6:21 PM INN

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IDF eliminates four Nukhba commanders in Gaza. Israel National News. Aug 19, 2026, 7:20 PM INN

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Anti-Israel Dem leads AIPAC endorsee by 1,350 votes in California special runoff to finish Swalwell term. Aisha Wahab states on her campaign site that Melissa Hernandez is funded by AIPAC, while the latter’s campaign site doesn’t mention the word “Israel” or “Jewish.” Aaron Bandler. Aug.19, 2026 JNS

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‘Tsunami of hate’ against Jews in medicine and hospitals, researchers say. Jonathan D. Salant. Aug. 19, 2026 / JNS) At the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Jews were labeled as oppressors. Patients were afraid to be identified as Jews at the University of California, San Francisco, and protesters targeted medical schools in New York City and demanded the destruction of the State of Israel. These are some of the antisemitic incidents that erupted in hospitals, dental schools, psychology conferences and elsewhere since Oct. 7, according to a new study published in the Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal. JNS

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Judge dismisses lawsuit by former Columbia anti-Israel encampment leader. August 19, 2026. Kathleen Waterman-Marshall, a justice for the New York State Supreme Court, dismissed Khymani James’ lawsuit against Columbia University, ruling that he did not adequately substantiate his claims that the university discriminated against him, the Daily Wire reported on Tuesday. James, a former leader of the university’s anti-Israel encampment, was suspended after making remarks in a January 2024 livestream that “Zionists don’t deserve to live” as well as for his conduct related to the student encampment. JNS

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Gesher Community Care, AEPi launch national study examining impact of antisemitism, student mental health. August 19, 2026 Gesher Community Care and Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) are partnering on a national research study examining the mental-health impact of antisemitism and anti-Zionism among AEPi’s approximately 9,000 active undergraduate members and alumni at more than 150 academic institutions of higher learning across the United States. JNS

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'No Jewish American can now be nominated on any national Democratic Party ticket,' classicist Victor Davis Hanson says. August 19, 2026

Most Democrat candidates prefer to be seen on the stump with the antisemitic, America-trashing Hasan Piker rather than with their own Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer,” the pro-Israel scholar and commentator wrote.

The truth is that Jewish influence isn’t holding America captive, according to Hanson.

“Since its founding, Israel has contributed about $300 million, adjusted for inflation, to U.S. universities and nonprofits,” he wrote. “In contrast, the Gulf states alone have given more than $12 billion.”

“Our chief rival, a hostile China, has donated more than $6 billion,” he added. “Yet somehow Israel is accused of buying and leveraging U.S. institutions. JNS

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US military created secret path through Hormuz, 10 million barrels of oil pass daily - report. US President Donald Trump told reporters "The Strait is open. A lot of boats are coming through, adding that "We are getting a lot of oil out." August 20, 2026 00:14 JPost

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[6]

Atlanta Israel Coalition. Aug 17, 2026. Atlanta Israel Coalition Joins Global Coalition to Share the Facts About the “Gaza GenoLIE” Narrative.

The Gaza GenoLIE initiative examines how accusations of genocide against Israel developed, how they were amplified, and how they have influenced public understanding of the conflict.

The initiative’s goal is not to argue with people, but to provide information and encourage thoughtful examination of the claims being made about Israel. Its website presents evidence-based analysis of legal definitions, media narratives, Hamas’s military strategy, and the broader campaign to delegitimize Israel.

The initiative addresses eight central issues:

- Genocide accusations emerged immediately after the October 7 massacre, before Israel launched its military response. - The legal definition of genocide has been broadly misunderstood and misapplied. - Israel’s military campaign is directed at Hamas, not at the Palestinian people. - Accusations against Israel have contributed to antisemitic hostility toward Jews worldwide. - Claims about journalists and media coverage require careful examination of sourcing, context, and Hamas’s influence. - Hamas operates among civilian populations and uses civilian infrastructure for military purposes. - Reports concerning illness, hunger, and humanitarian conditions require complete medical and factual context. - The genocide accusation forms part of a broader campaign challenging Israel’s legitimacy and the Jewish people’s right to self-determination.

The website organizes these issues into eight “puzzle pieces,” allowing readers to review the evidence, understand how particular narratives developed, and reach informed conclusions.

We invite you to explore the initiative for yourself:

[7] [#GazaGenoLIE #AtlantaIsraelCoalition #ShareTheFacts #StandWithIsrael #FightAntisemitism #TruthMatters] on FB

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IDF reveals: Hamas uses Nasser Hospital to conduct brutal interrogations, torture. IDF intelligence reveals Hamas is allegedly using Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis as an interrogation and torture center as the terrorist organization fears losing its grip over Gaza residents. Israel National News. Aug 20, 2026, 3:20 PM (GMT+3) ...Nasser Hospital continues to serve as a central Hamas military infrastructure in the southern Gaza Strip. Patients and hospital employees have witnessed a permanent presence of Hamas terrorists throughout various parts of the hospital compound, some of whom are masked, the IDF stated.

The military warned that Hamas' activities inside the hospital create fear among Gaza residents and endanger patients, healthcare providers and medical personnel.

The IDF further revealed that Hamas is conducting additional interrogations in another building in the hospital compound. The structure, which formerly housed hospital offices, was subsequently used as a cafeteria and was later converted into a prayer room. According to the IDF, Hamas has now transformed it into an interrogation center.

The military said that the exploitation of civilian infrastructure for interrogations and torture is not an isolated practice, but rather a widespread phenomenon within Hamas.

"These actions by the Hamas terrorist organization constitute a violation of international law, which prohibits the military use of hospitals," the IDF stated. INN

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'Hamas hasn't changed'. Special interview with Amb. Mike Huckabee. In a special Arutz Sheva interview, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee speaks out on Iran, Hamas, Syria, Israel's upcoming elections, and Trump-Netanyahu ties. Yoni Kempinski. Aug 20, 2026, 11:01 PM INN

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Report: EU preparing sanctions against Israel over E1 construction. Elad Benari. Aug 21, 2026, 4:38 AM INN

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50,000 at Western Wall Selichot. Captivity survivors Bar Kupershtein and Agam Berger take part. Israel National News. Aug 21, 2026, 2:22 AM INN

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Hochul to Mamdani: 'Focus on New York, not Israel'. Elad Benari. Aug 21, 2026, 6:25 AM. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is urging New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to devote greater attention to governing the city and less to Israel, according to an interview with The New York Times published Thursday.

Hochul was asked about a video Mamdani released last month in which he acknowledged that, despite his repeated promises, he does not have the authority to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The video drew hundreds of millions of views and included accusations against Israel, including the false claim that Netanyahu is a war criminal[sic].

Mamdani has faced repeated criticism over his anti-Israel positions and statements. During his mayoral campaign, he declined to reject the slogan “globalize the intifada" and came under criticism for comments targeting Israel on October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas massacre in southern Israel.

He has also repeatedly accused Israel of war crimes during its campaign against Hamas in Gaza. On his first day as mayor, Mamdani further sparked controversy by rescinding executive orders concerning Israel that had been issued by his predecessor, Eric Adams.

His positions have continued to draw criticism since taking office, including his decision to boycott New York City's annual Israel Day Parade, making him the first mayor of the city to do so.

The controversies have raised concerns among many Jewish New Yorkers, particularly amid a rise in antisemitic incidents targeting the community.

Asked whether Mamdani's rhetoric toward Israel could make Jewish New Yorkers uncomfortable, Hochul said she had a different priority for the mayor.

“I encourage him to - ‘Let’s focus on blocking and tackling of city government,’" she told The New York Times, invoking a football expression for concentrating on the basic responsibilities of governing.

Hochul pointed to issues including housing and child care as areas where she and Mamdani share priorities.

“That’s where I believe the main focus should be," she added.

The governor also reiterated her opposition to antisemitism, declaring that she would “throw my body against any antisemitism." INN

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In Jenin. Terrorist attempts to stab IDF soldier and is eliminated. Israel National News. Aug 21, 2026, 3:41 AM INN

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Jewish hikers attacked after mistakenly entering Arab village. Dozens of Arab rioters hurl rocks at Jewish hikers who apparently entered village by mistake; security forces rush to rescue the group. Israel National News. Aug 21, 2026, 3:42 PM INN

Hikers Stoned After Entering PA Village. IDF forces responding to the incident were also pelted with rocks; one suspect was shot after attacking a security officer

Gila Isaacson Aug 21, 2026 JFeed

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The mask of NATO has fallen: Turkey stands revealed as a mortal threat to Israel and the West.

Turkey under Erdogan is not a democratic bridge between East and West, nor is it a reliable pillar of transatlantic security; it is an expansionist, authoritarian power fundamentally hostile to democratic governance, Western values, and the existence of Israel in the Middle East. Another wake up call. Opinion.

Fern Sidman Aug 21, 2026, 11:39 AM INN

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Escalation as Turkey seeks Interpol arrest warrants for Netanyahu. Ankara asks Interpol to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and dozens of senior Israeli officials over their alleged involvement in stopping the Global Sumud flotilla en route to Gaza. Israel National News. Aug 21, 2026, 4:20 PM INN

Netanyahu's office rejects Turkish Interpol red notice request as "pathetic intimidation". Aug 21, 2026, JFeed

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Primary lessons: GOP Groypers flop while Dem extremists flourish. Far-right followers of Tucker Carlson are failing across the board with Republican voters. In most Democratic contests, antisemitic DSA candidates continue to thrive. Jonathan S. Tobin. Aug 21, 2026. JNS

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AIPAC gets credit for turning landslide into ‘real nail-biter’ in special CA election, in which anti-Israel Dem defeats candidate backed by pro-Israel group. Jared Sclar, a Democratic political consultant, told JNS that the rematch between Aisha Wahab, an anti-Israel state senator, and Melissa Hernandez, a former mayor of Dublin, Calif., in November will be “genuinely competitive.” Aaron Bandler. (Aug. 21, 2026 / JNS) Aisha Wahab, an anti-Israel state senator, defeated Melissa Hernandez, a former mayor of Dublin, Calif., whom AIPAC has supported, in the special election to replace former Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell. With 95% of votes counted in California’s 14th Congressional District, Wahab had 51,610 votes (53.1%) to 45,598 votes (46.9%) for Hernandez. Wahab has accused Israel of... JNS

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US re-designates Hezbollah as terror group in ‘service to Iranian regime’. The faction is “an extension” of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force and is “not a Lebanese resistance movement,” a State Department official said. Mike Wagenheim. Aug 21, 2026. JNS

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UK bank attack. Palestine Action activists spared terrorist sentences. Israel National News Aug 22, 2026, 1:26 AM INN

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Trump: 'Military option against Iran remains on the table'. Elad Benari, Canada. Aug 22, 2026, 12:31 AM INN

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IDF detains Hamas terrorist after crossing Gaza Yellow Line. Israel National News. Aug 21, 2026, 8:06 PM INN

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US on E1 tender: 'We do not support' Judea and Samaria annexation. Israel National News. Aug 21, 2026, 9:45 PM INN

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Haverford College’s Honor Code Divided Students Into “Privileged” and “Marginalized” Groups. Sara Dogan. Can you guess where Jews were told they belonged? Aug 21, 2026 FPM

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Leftist White Woman Converted to Islam, Plotted to Bomb NY Capitol. August 21, 2026. By Daniel Greenfield.

"Blowing non-Muslim brains out is beautiful." FPM

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California AG Admits He’s Fighting WB Deal So Dems Control CNN August 20, 2026. By Daniel Greenfield. “I can’t go into court… and tell the judge my views on democracy.” FPM

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Netanyahu Calls Erdogan an ‘Antisemitic Dictator’ as Turkey Seeks International Arrest Warrant for Israeli PM. Aug 21, 2026. Algemeiner

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Suspect Arrested in Florida Antisemitic Attack Previously Accused of Slashing Giant FIFA Ball Display. By Shiryn Ghermezian. Aug 21, 2026

A street in Surfside, Florida. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

A man from Miami Beach, Florida, who was arrested on Wednesday and accused of assaulting and threatening to kill a Jewish person during an antisemitic attack in Surfside had also been arrested earlier this summer for an unrelated violent incident, according to his arrest report cited by media outlets.

Jorden Stephen Perozo, 35, was taken into custody by the Surfside Police Department and is facing one count each of battery with prejudice and harassing or intimidating a person based on religious or ethnic heritage. He was arrested at his job at the Flanigan’s Bar and Grill on Harding Avenue and taken into custody without incident, according to police.

The antisemitic attack took place on Aug. 16 when a Jewish man and his wife, who were visiting Florida from New York, were walking along Harding Avenue. Perozo approached them on an electric scooter and cursed at them along with others in the Jewish community, according to the arrest report cited by NBC Miami. Perozo then punched the husband on the side of the head and told him, “Now you’re going to die. Walk away before I kill you.” He continued telling the victim that he hated him, called the couple “evil demons,” and made statements targeting Israel and “Palestine,” the affidavit stated. The victim’s wife recorded the incident on her cellphone. Algemeiner

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Paramount accuses Mark Ruffalo of using antisemitic tropes. Paramount Pictures accuses Hulk actor of using antisemitic tropes after he attacks the Ellison family and Israel in a rant against the planned merger with Warner Brothers. Israel National News. Aug 22, 2026, 9:56 PM INN

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“Loser with a low I.Q." Trump opens new front against Tucker Carlson. US President Donald Trump has opened a new front against conservative media personality Tucker Carlson and former members of Congress Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie. Israel National News. Aug 22, 2026, 11:38 PM INN

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Mansour Abbas calls for recognition of a Palestinian state. Dalit Halevy. Aug 22, 2026, 8:18 PM INN

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Unusual statement by Defense Minister over Shabbat. Defense Minister claims Israel warned the Syrian regime in advance against an attempt to allow Turkey to establish a presence at the Abu al-Duhur airbase. Israel National News. Aug 22, 2026, 8:07 PM INN

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In Kfar Yehoshua's old train station, artists stitch Israel's story since October 7. Once upon a time, the historic Valley Train connected a region. Today, it is connecting a community through art. Updated August 22, 2026 JPost

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: An Iranian military official called on Qatar to transfer detained Iranian pilots to a hospital on land, claiming they were being held on water and were in "poor physical condition." August 22, 2026 on X

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Facing exile and persecution, an Iranian dissident crossed from devout Muslim to student of Judaism. IRANIAN AFFAIRS: Iranian refugee Behnam Vali Heydarian recounts persecution, attacks, pro-Israel activism, and fears of deportation to Iran after his journey from Islam to Christianity and Judaism. August 22, 2026 JPost

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: The IDF arrested three Palestinian suspects related to an attack on Friday against a haredi (ultra-Orthodox) .. group hiking in the West Bank, Maariv reported on Saturday. August 22, 2026 on X

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Israel must stop Erdogan’s military expansion before Turkey reaches its borders - opinion Unless Israel draws concrete red lines in Syria and the eastern Mediterranean, the Turkish army and navy will further encroach upon Israel’s northern and maritime borders.  August 22, 2026 JPost

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The Middle East’s ‘peace architecture’ may be giving rise to an anti-Israel bloc - opinion. Instead of building peace, we are building a system in which Israel's enemies keep their weapons while Israel's friends gain the power to tell Israel when it may use its own. August 22, 2026 JPost

The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: Opinion: Before international monitors tell Israel that the danger has passed, the danger should actually be gone. Otherwise, we are not building peace, and Israel should recognize this before it is too late. August 22, 2026 on X

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Trump: Iran wants to make deal, US redirects 68 ships in blockade, threatens economic pressure. Trump: US had total control over the "entire region having to do with the Strait of Hormuz," and US military option still on the table • US planning to block Abbas from addressing UNGA in September. August 22, 2026 JPost

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Kushner's extraordinary warning to Hamas. Israel National News. Aug 23, 2026, 9:57 PM INN

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Part 2

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan invited Iran to join newly-established Mecca defense pact - report. The invitation has not yet been officially confirmed by Iran's Foreign Ministry or by any of the three countries that are parties to the agreement. Aug 23, 2026. JPost

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'Iran is completely collapsing'. US President says Iran is "compltely collapsing" in social media post. Israel National News Aug 24, 2026, 3:50 PM INN

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‘Hamas stops at nothing’: Drugs found hidden in Gaza aid supplies. Israel National News. Aug 24, 2026, 4:22 PM INN

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Over draft status: Tax Authority tightens rules for haredi yeshivas. Israel National News. Aug 24, 2026. INN

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IDF Strikes Multiple Locations in Southern Lebanon. Aug 24, 2026 JFeed

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IDF Chief Lauds Air Force Covert Missions Chief of Staff tells elite airborne. commandos their classified missions will be written into military history, revealing they operated "farther than ever before". Gila Isaacson. Aug 24, 2026 JFeed

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Haredi protesters plan demonstration on Highway 4 following arrest of draft dodger. A Haredi protest is expected to disrupt traffic near Bnei Brak as demonstrators protest the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox individual over failure to enlist in the IDF. August 24 2026 JPost

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post. Controversy is growing in Israeli circles about the extent to which Iran is smuggling weapons to Hezbollah through Syria. @JeremyBob1 reports. August 24 2026 on X

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Israeli strike on Syrian airbase sparks tension with Turkey, exposes post-war friction - analysis. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani rejected claims that Turkey intended to establish a military base at Abu al-Duhur, saying the site was being restored for use by the Syrian Air Force. August 24 2026 on X

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Strait of Hormuz traffic plunges as Iran, US blockades restrict energy shipments. By Reuters. Aug 24, 2026 A total of 89 vessels exited the strait while 103 entered over the seven-day period, the report, based on Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, showed. JPost

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Syria to dismantle Assad regime's chemical weapons legacy 13 years after deadly attack - analysis. On August 21, 2013, rockets carrying a chemical sarin nerve agent struck areas of Eastern and Western Ghouta outside Damascus. August 24 2026 JPost

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Nolte: Democrat Michigan Senate Nominee Abdul El-Sayed Suggested U.S. Creates Terrorism. Breitbart. 8/24/2026

Democrat Michigan Senate nominee Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed (aka Abdul El-Sayed) suggested to a group of supporters last year that America creates terrorism.

Here is the pertinent part of his insane comments:

I think the approach that we’ve often taken with terrorism has been to figure out how to leverage the might of the U.S. military to go in and root out, right, certain terrorist organizations, et cetera. And where that’s necessary, that’s necessary. But I also think we need to be curious about why those things happen in the first place. Like, what drives somebody to want to commit such a heinous act?.. Breitbart

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Israel strike in Syria may push US to broker deal between Jerusalem and Damascus - analysis. “The negotiations were frozen after the Iranian-Israeli war, and we hope they will resume in the near future so that we can complete this process,” al-Shaibani said. August 24 2026 JPost

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Iraq appears to delay militia disarmament as Iran-backed factions pressure Baghdad - analysis. Now Iraq is indicating that it actually wants to wait until the US leaves, to disarm the militias. This bait and switch on timing shows how Iraq will slow play its obligations. August 24 2026 JPost

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US treasury secretary says economic D-day against Iran 'begins at dawn,' IDF strikes Lebanon. Less than 20 ships transit Hormuz over weekend. • Greece moves Patriot system to key base amid rising US-Iran tensions. • Israel warns Hamas of intensified strikes over Gaza kite launches. August 24 2026 JPost

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The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post: The IDF killed a Hamas Nukhba commander who had entered Israel during the October 7 massacre, the military announced. August 24 2026 on X

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Omani foreign minister to visit Tehran, continue negotiations on Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday, Baghaei said the army chief of Pakistan, which has mediated between the United States and Iran, will visit Tehran on Monday. August 24 2026 JPost

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Police arrest eight Palestinian West Bank residents illegally residing in Beersheba apartment. Following their arrest, Southern District Police Commander Haim Bublil signed an administrative order closing the property for 30 days. August 24 2026 JPost

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'Where to kill Barron?' Iran airs video offering $10m. reward to kill US president's son - report. The video, linked on X/Twitter by anti-regime London-based journalist Niyak Ghorbani, showed various locations Barron had been at specific points in the past, including Trump Tower. August 24 2026 JPost

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US Southern Command strike kills two alleged narco-terrorists in Eastern Pacific. "Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel's active involvement in narco-trafficking. The operation killed two narco-terrorists," SOUTHCOM said in a post on X/Twitter. August 24 2026. JPost

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Netanyahu: 'Iran tried to assassinate one of my children'. Netanyahu revealed this evening that Iran has attempted to assassinate one of his children, after Iranian state TV threatened President Trump's son. Israel National News. Aug 24, 2026, 7:32 PM. INN

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Victim of attack by PA forces recounts ordeal to Arutz Sheva: 'They kicked me in the face'. IDF reservist Yisrael Rosenthal recounts to Arutz Sheva his assault and detention by Palestinian Authority security forces in Area C and calls for action. Itzik Brandwein. Aug 24, 2026, 10:36 PM (GMT+3).

Yisrael Rosenthal, the IDF reservist who was attacked on Sunday night by Palestinian Authority security forces in Area C, spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News and recounted the frightening incident.

He opens by disproving the reports that he entered PA-controlled territory, was attacked, and that the PA security forces were rescuing him. "That's a total lie," Rosenthal clarifies. "I left my home on a farm near Haresha toward Jerusalem, and I drove on the 'Strongholds Route,' which is completely within Area C. This is not my first time driving on this road. I got to the Beitunia Junction, where I saw a police car and a roadblock. At this point, I thought it was an Israeli police car. The moment I approached in my vehicle, they blocked my way, opened my door, and shouted: 'Palestinian police.'"

He says that at first, he tried to understand what the PA officers wanted from him. "I grabbed my gun [that I have from being in] the rapid response team, and they said, 'No guns.' I explained where I was driving, and in the meantime, they continued to surround me, got closer, and shut off my vehicle. At a certain point, one of them grabbed my arm, and when I was unable to defend myself, they all jumped on me, sprayed a can and a half of pepper spray at me, and kicked me in the face. At one point, after they broke my glasses and took my phone and car keys, they also managed to take my gun. They removed me from the car, cuffed me, and put me in the police car."

According to Rosenthal, "While the Palestinian officers were attacking me, there was no gathering, and they even distanced people. There were only Palestinian officers there. After that, we drove for half an hour deep into Ramallah, quickly and erratically, until we reached the police station. Luckily, they did not bring me into the station."

Later, he was given the option to contact an Israeli official. "When I was in the car, I tried to contact emergency authorities, but there was no reception, and I couldn't reach anyone. Near the station, the officers switched; we drove some more, and they let me speak with someone from COGAT who told me that they would bring me to the IDF at some point, and then they took me to the police."

When he was handed over to the Israelis, Rosenthal was shocked by the story the PA security forces told the Israeli police. "I heard that the Palestinian police reported to the IDF that I was in Area A, which was a total lie. After that, the IDF also announced that I was in Area C, but the Palestinian police said that it rescued me from a gathering, which never happened."

He calls on law enforcement and diplomatic officials to enable safe travel on the roads in Area C. "It is very important that they understand the need to stop this conduct by the Palestinian police and to secure this road, which is completely in Area C, so that Israelis can travel on it freely. Many residents use this road."

During the day, Rosenthal appealed, through the Crime Victims Department at the Honenu organization, to Defense Minister Israel Katz and Central Command Major General Avi Bluth, demanding that the Palestinian Authority security forces who attacked and detained him be arrested.

In the letter, attorney Chaim Bleicher stressed that beyond the harm caused to the reservist, the incident constituted an infringement on the sovereignty of the IDF and Israeli security forces. He called for action to prevent armed enemy forces from entering areas under IDF control.

“This is an extremely serious incident in which armed Palestinian police officers entered Area C in violation of the law, endangered regional security, assaulted and abducted an Israeli citizen. This constitutes a serious and dangerous attack both on the individual soldier and on the sovereignty of the IDF and the security forces. On behalf of the crime victim, we call for the Palestinians who attacked and beat him to be arrested as soon as possible.

“We also request that every available measure be taken to prevent such incidents from recurring, including securing the route and opening it to unrestricted Jewish traffic. This should be accompanied by IDF action to prevent armed enemy forces from entering territory under IDF responsibility," the letter stated. INN

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NYPD Releases Footage of Suspects in Two Hate Crime Attacks on Synagogues

Aug. 24, 2026

The New York City Police Department released video footage on Monday of two suspects in hate crime attacks on Queens synagogues on July 16.

The NYPD asked the public to help identify the two, who are suspected of throwing bags of motor oil at two Orthodox synagogues: Young Israel of Jamaica Estates and Young Israel of Holliswood.

The suspects in the video are wanted “in connection with two hate crime criminal mischief incidents,” the department said. Attackers damaged property at both synagogues, the NYPD said.

The video footage is from the incident at Young Israel of Jamaica Estates.

Rabbi Moshe Taub of Young Israel of Holliswood previously told JNS that the community would continue to worship and be “proud Americans.”

“We are also aware that until our city’s mayor shows the same passion in visiting the victims of crimes as he does its perpetrators, at Rikers, his words seem hollow to us and uninspiring to his denizens,” he told JNS, of city Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The rabbi also said that his synagogue had been vandalized with feces.

Adam Orlow, president of Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, previously told JNS that “while this incident is disturbing, it will not intimidate us or change who we are.”

Rabbi Dov Lerner of the synagogue said, “acts of hatred seek to create fear and division, but they will achieve the opposite.”

“We will continue to gather proudly, pray together and strengthen our community with dignity, faith and resilience,” he said.

JNS

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Trump says Iran ‘completely collapsing’ amid sanctions push. Aug. 24, 2026 JNS

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US Treasury Department launches ‘Operation Economic Outcast’ against Iran. Aug. 24, 2026 JNS

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‘Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria here to stay,’ Danon says. Aug. 24, 2026 JNS

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Hasan Piker a ‘hack who thrives on hate,’ Michigan Dem says. Aug. 24, 2026. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) stated that the antisemitic streamer “lacks substance” and is “dangerous for everyone.” She also said that it was “unacceptable” that Piker targeted an elected state official. JNS

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Major Canadian Jewish groups calls for justice after ‘blatant antisemitism’ over weekend. Aug. 24, 2026 JNS

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CENTCOM: 70 ships redirected in Strait of Hormuz. Aug. 24, 2026 JNS

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IDF humanitarian delegation completes Colombia rescue mission. Aug. 24, 2026 JNS

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Three-quarters of Israeli Jews think 15-point Gaza plan will fail. Aug. 24, 2026 JNS

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IDF strikes two Hamas terrorists who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre. Aug. 24, 2026 JNS

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Swiss police probe ‘death to Zionism’ rally in Basel. Canaan Lidor. Aug. 24, 2026 JNS

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‘Felt like a lynch mob,’ mom of 4-year-old says of NYC-funded festival, in which performer accuses Israel of ‘war crimes’. Debra Nussbaum Cohen. Aug. 24, 2026. ...she found herself and her son listening to a recitation of Israel’s “war crimes” and keffiyah-clad performers taking part in a Gaza flotilla during a show billed as being about the quirks of living in New York City. JNS

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US removes Syria from state terror sponsors list. Aug. 24, 2026 JNS

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'US not ruling out military strikes against Iran'. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says Washington is not ruling out military strikes against Iran despite its new campaign of economic pressure. Elad Benari. Aug 25, 2026, 12:22 AM INN

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Mike Rogers @MikeRogersForMI:

More calls for violence coming out of the El-Sayed campaign…

Here is his running mate, Hasan Piker, saying that if AMERICAN JEWS support Israel, they will be violently targeted because of it.

This is all in reaction to Michigan Democratic Congressional candidate Jeremy Moss, who happens to be Jewish, saying he is unsure if he will be able to support Abdul for these very reasons.

Absolutely DISGUSTING. If Abdul El-Sayed had any courage at all, he would call this out and disavow Hasan Piker once and for all. We’re waiting, Abdul. Aug 24, 2026 on X

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Abdul El-Sayed distances campaign from Hasan Piker after antisemitic remarks. Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed distances his campaign from Hasan Piker after the streamer’s remarks about Jewish Americans spark renewed controversy. Israel National News. Published: Aug 25, 2026, 4:13 AM (GMT+3) Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is seeking to distance his campaign from prominent supporter Hasan Piker following remarks by the controversial streamer that drew renewed criticism.

El-Sayed, who will face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the November election, issued a statement Monday stressing that he alone speaks for his campaign.

“I want to be crystal clear, nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople," he said, as quoted by Fox News.

The statement followed comments Piker made during a livestream last week in which he displayed an image of state Sen. Jeremy Moss, the Democratic nominee in Michigan's 11th Congressional District. Moss, who is Jewish, has said a recording circulating online is fabricated and falsely portrays him as saying his sole reason for seeking Congress is to preserve American support for Israel. INN

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Long Hours After Being Called Out by GOP's Rogers: Abulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed Finally Distances Himself From Infamous Islamic hater Hasan Piker. That point too | Aug 25, 2026.

Only Long Hours After Being Called Out by GOP's Rogers: Abulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed Finally Distances Himself From Infamous Islamic hater Hasan Piker.

A Long-Overdue Disavowal.

It is telling that only after Mike Rogers publicly called him out did Abdul El-Sayed finally feel compelled to issue a statement distancing his campaign from Hasan Piker.

For the record: Abdul El-Sayed released his statement distancing himself from Hasan Piker about 8 to 12 hours after Mike Rogers called him out (Google AI estimate).

For months, Piker, the Turkish immigrant notorious "Americans deserved 911" guy (cofounder with his uncle Cenk Uygur: TYT), has been a prominent supporter and campaign surrogate, while his rhetoric about Jews and Israel has repeatedly crossed deeply disturbing lines. Now, after Piker’s latest remarks targeting American Jews who support Israel, El-Sayed, fearing a crushing defeat, says that only he and his campaign spokespeople speak for his campaign.

That is a start—but it comes late. Jewish voters deserve more than carefully worded distancing after public pressure. They deserve unequivocal opposition to antisemitism, regardless of who expresses it or how politically inconvenient it is.

No Jewish American should have to wonder whether supporting Israel makes them a target. Calling that out should never require a Republican opponent to force the issue. That Point Too

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Northern Jerusalem: IDF and police evacuate UNRWA compound. Israel National News. Aug 25, 2026, 11:21 AM INN

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Sledgehammer in hand. MK Sukkot demolishes terrorist monuments. Hezki Baruch. Aug 25, 2026, 1:02 PM INN

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Trump: All mines in Strait of Hormuz removed. Israel National News. Aug 25, 2026, 5:45 PM INN

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'A clear warning' Watch: IDF strikes Hamas weapons sites in mosques. Israel National News. Aug 25, 2026, 1:30 PM INN

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First step in psychological warfare. Dr. Schleifer, expert in psychological warfare, says the seemingly innocent kites launched from Gaza are the beginning of a planned and systematic Hamas effort to condition Israel. Shimon Cohen. Aug 25, 2026, 7:22 PM INN

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SCOOP: Dominican Republic adopting IHRA working definition of Jew-hatred. The announcement on Monday night places the country seventh on the list of Latin American states adopting the widely used working definition. Mike Wagenheim. JNS

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Gaza-border residents protest aid, reconstruction before Hamas disarms. Activists and residents of Israeli towns near the Gaza border protested at the Kerem Shalom crossing Tuesday morning against continued aid to Gaza and reconstruction of the Strip before Hamas disarms.

The protesters, including members of Tzav 9 and the Otef Israel Forum, later demonstrated near the U.S.-led International Stabilization Force base adjacent to Kerem Shalom. They also oppose the deployment of foreign forces to the Strip before Hamas gives up its weapons.

“What unites us is the agreement that only the security forces of the State of Israel protect us. Not foreign entities, not Turks or Qataris,” said Danny Rahamim, a resident of Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Aug. 25, 2026 JNS

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New Gaza nutrition data from UNICEF shows ‘truth always prevails,’ Akunis says. “All the American media put me and the State of Israel under pressure to admit that there is starvation in the Gaza Strip,” Ofir Akunis told JNS. “I insisted there was no starvation, because that was the truth.” Rebecca Szlechter, Rikki Zagelbaum. (Aug. 25, 2026 / JNS) A new nutrition survey led by the United Nations Children’s Fund shows relatively low levels of acute malnutrition among children in accessible areas of Gaza, which confirms Israel’s repeated rejection of claims that the Strip was experiencing widespread starvation, according to Ofir Akunis, Israeli consul general in New York. “The truth is always stronger than their lies,” Akunis told JNS in an interview in his office on Monday.

Akunis recalled facing intense pressure in August 2025 to acknowledge claims of widespread starvation in Gaza.

“All the American media put me and the State of Israel under pressure to admit that there is starvation in the Gaza Strip,” he told JNS. “I insisted there was no starvation, because that was the truth.”

The envoy described the charges that the Jewish state was deliberately starving Palestinians as “Turkish, Qatari and Hamas propaganda” and “just a blood libel against the State of Israel and our brave soldiers.”

UNICEF published a new population-based nutrition survey based on data that it said it collected between May 31 and June 15, 2026. The survey found low rates of acute malnutrition among children in accessible areas of Gaza, and 12.2% of children were affected by stunting and 4% were overweight.

The U.N. agency stressed that the survey does not describe conditions in areas that researchers could not access. About 17% of Gazans were excluded from the sampling frame due to access and security constraints, the global body said.

Still, the findings represent an important acknowledgment of the position Israel had maintained, according to Akunis.

“Now, if you will read it in the future, you can see that that was the truth,” he told JNS. “As I always say, ‘The truth always prevails over lies.’”

Of the timeline upon which the U.N. agency released the findings, Akunis said that “it’s better than nothing.”

The envoy added that the delay reflects what he sees as a broader pattern in the international system when dealing with the Jewish state.

“Usually, the United Nations position toward the State of Israel is automatic,” he told JNS. “Unfortunately, nothing new.”

He described previous cases, in which initial accusations against Israel were later challenged or disproven. “There’s a lot of examples about the lies,” he said.

The new survey should prompt those who accepted earlier starvation claims to reconsider, according to Akunis. He added that the new data could change the minds of “the honest people.”

“Unfortunately, the people who are actually involved in this will not,” he said. “The industry lies.” JNS

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14 Mizrahi, Sephardic Jewish orgs pen letter criticizing ‘New York’ magazine’s ‘Habibi City’ article. A coalition of 14 organizations representing Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish communities, which the Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa nonprofit convened, called on New York magazine to acknowledge that its Aug. 10 article excluded “the Jews of the Middle East and North Africa except on ideological terms, and renders the region’s other non-Muslim peoples nearly invisible.”

The letter states that the article, among other things, uses the term “Arab Jew,” though the letter states that most Mizrahi Jews reject the label. The article references Oct. 7 multiple times “as a calendar marker for what came after it, never as an event with victims of its own,” per the letter.

“We are not asking to be tolerated as exceptions to an ideological rule,” the letter states. “We are asking to be recognized as what we are: peoples of the region. Aug. 25, 2026 JNS

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Philadelphia dem socialists to host workshop on history of ‘weaponizing’ Jew-hatred, run by frequent partner of teacher unions. Aug. 25, 2026 JNS

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StandWithUs to offer Jew-hatred training to Haverford as part of settlement. The Pennsylvania liberal arts college and the Deborah Project announced the agreement on Aug. 9, settling the Deborah Project’s 2024 suit alleging that the school fomented a hostile environment against Jewish students.

Peggy Shapiro, executive director of the center for combating antisemitism at StandWithUs, stated on Monday that “faculty, administrators and students need the knowledge and skills to recognize antisemitism when they encounter it.”

“We are pleased to work with Haverford to help ensure that its faculty, staff and students have the tools to recognize anti-Jewish hatred and discrimination in all of its forms and to know what to do when they encounter it,” she said. Aug. 25, 2026 JNS

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Suspect who said ‘settlers’ set her home on fire recants, Israel police says. The 53-year-old woman, who made the claim last Thursday, told investigators in Judea and Samaria that “I dreamed it, and then I took revenge,” per Israeli authorities.

“Among the offenses attributed to her is incitement, after she spread the false allegation around the world through the media,” the police service said. Investigators found that the fire was caused by a short circuit rather than arson, it added. Aug. 25, 2026 JNS

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State should remove Tom Barrack as US envoy to Turkey, ‘insubordination, extreme hostility to ally Israel,’ ZOA head says. Aug. 25, 2026 JNS

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