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Featured Column

Jonathan S. TobinJNSSeptember 30, 2020

Asking the wrong questions about extremist violence

The misleading claim that Trump refused to condemn white supremacists helps obscure the truth about divisive racial issues, rather than clarify them.

First 2020 presidential debate in Cleveland. Source: Screenshot.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at the first presidential debate on Sept. 29, 2020. Source: Screenshot.

newsFollowing first debate, Jewish groups slam Trump’s responses on white supremacism

Follow our coverage: all our news, features and columns on the topic "Joe Biden"

feature

Palestinians continue to incite terrorism and violence in school curriculum, says watchdog group

Israel KasnettJNSSeptember 30, 2020

The main findings of the report show that the 2020-21 textbooks promote anti-Semitism, reject peace and fail to discuss tolerance and coexistence.

Palestinian students on the first day of school in Nablus in the West Bank on Sept. 6, 2020. Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90.

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Netanyahu 'insists Hezbollah stop using Lebanese civilians as human shields'

JNSSeptember 29, 2020

Israeli prime minister reveals coordinates of secret missile stockpiles in live address before international leaders in televised UN address.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressing the 75th U.N. General Assembly via a video message on Sept. 29, 2020. Credit: GPO.

newsIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to UN General Assembly

briefIDF reveals coordinates of ‘Hezbollah missile depots’ in Beirut

Lilach Shoval

briefHezbollah leader accuses Netanyahu of ‘inciting’ against terrorist group

Daniel Siryoti

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Maccabee Task Force urges pro-Israel, Jewish students to forge ties with African-American community

Eliana RudeeJNSSeptember 30, 2020

Building bridges has become even more important as “the issue of racial justice has dominated our streets and evening news” and will “almost certainly dominate campus politics this fall.”

Maccabi Task Force staff and students participating in their 2020 virtual campus conference. Source: Screenshot.

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Harold Rhode

The renewed Azerbaijan-Armenia war: Another blow to Iran?

Yoni Michanie

Why the moral equivalency at the UN?

Gilad Erdan

The UN must rethink its route

Jennifer Roskies

JCPA

Claims of Israeli ethnic cleansing have no place in a student paper, or anywhere

Stephen M. Flatow

Nobody is ignoring the Palestinians

James Dorsey

China could signal increased engagement with Iran, but hasn’t done so

Yoav Limor

The No. 1 lesson of the intifada: Initiate and control

Robert Rozett and Richelle Budd Caplan

Holocaust-education resolution for the New Year: Uniting for the sake of future generations

Melanie Phillips

RBG: An American Jewish justice warrior

Jonathan S. Tobin

Can we forgive each other in the midst of a tribal culture war?

Gideon Israel

Don’t count on Joe Biden being a Clinton-era pro-Israel Democrat

Cliff Smith

Washington celebrates Abraham Accords, but must prepare for challenges

Shoshana Bryen

The ‘Peace Processoriat’ was wrong for many reasons

Ben Cohen

UK Labour leader Keir Starmer is drawing a line under the Corbyn years

David Suissa

Jewish Journal

What Ruth Bader Ginsburg taught us about friendship and unity

Clifford D. May

It’s time to look at Palestinian-Israeli conflict with fresh eyes

James Sinkinson

How the EU obstructs peace

Ruthie Blum

Days of awe (and loopholes)

Eitan Fischberger

Amnesty International must translate words into action

Ronit Calderon-Margalit

This time, it’s no false alarm

Jonathan S. Tobin

The inevitable consequences of false history

Amir Avivi

‘Commanders for Israel’s Security’ continues to mislead the public

Alan Baker

What is actually in the Abraham Accords?

Jalal Bana

Why is this wave unlike the other?

Jonathan S. Tobin

Terrorists have no place on big-tech platforms

Dan Schueftan

America’s determination is more important than rhetoric

Yoram Ettinger

An interest-based peace

Jonathan S. Tobin

Arab allies should mean more to Israelis than airplanes

George Tzogopoulos

BESA Center

The dangerous waters of the Mediterranean

Stephen M. Flatow

Yossi Beilin, still undermining Israel after all these years

A.J. Caschetta

History proves John Kerry wrong … again

Asaf Romirowsky and Alex Joffe

Facts find no room in the world of BDS

Publish to the JNS Wire

Combat Anti-Semitism Movement Hosts High Holiday Briefing with US Special Envoy to Monitor & Combat Anti-Semitism

Combat Anti-Semitism Movement

Chalk up another one for the Palestinian Authority

Regavim

High School Seniors Launch Lishmah, a Free Jewish Learning Platform Making Daily Learning Accessible for All

Lishmah

Alfred Landecker Foundation launches new ‘Decoding Antisemitism’ project to Stop Hate Online using Artificial Intelligence

The Alfred Landecker Foundation

JPPI’s 2020 Annual Assessment Reflects Immediate & Alarming Challenges Confronting Jewish Community Worldwide

Jewish People Policy Institute

Despite Strict Lockdown Conditions, Israeli Sense of Community Will Prevent Onset of PTSD

J Cubed Communications

Meet the US Jewish graduates who moved to Israel amid second Covid-19 wave to volunteer with children in periphery

BINA: The Jewish Movement for Social Change

America’s 1st Israeli art lending library launched at Northeastern University

Northeastern University Hillel

Thousands of Jews Internationally To Learn Torah Together through Orthodox Union’s Torah Yerushalayim

Orthodox Union

Orthodox Union Launches Virtual Torah Learning Platform

Orthodox Union

Since beginning of 2020, 120 Israelis have died alone at home and remained undiscovered for days after their deaths

ZAKA Search and Rescue

StandWithUs Condemns Hiring of Saeb Erekat by Harvard University

StandWithUs

Israeli Diplomat Israel Nitzan named Acting Consul General of Israel in New York

HaShevet

EMET Applauds the Trump Administration For Achieving Yet Another Historic Peace Deal, Between Israel And Bahrain

EMET: Endowment for Middle East Truth

Study of Arad texts shows many ancient Judeans were literate

Tel Aviv University

Israeli Diplomat Galit Peleg named Acting Consul General of Israel in Miami

HaShevet

Public Relations Firm Steinreich Communications Expands Reach Into United Arab Emirates

Steinreich Communications

Tikvah Fund Launches Online Academy for Middle School, High School, & Gap Year Students

The Tikvah Fund

Alfred Landecker Foundation Announces $13 Million Dollar Grant to Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Alfred Landecker Foundation

Scientists pick and taste ancient dates for first time since the Second Temple

Arava Institute for Environmental Studies

Israeli Arab women in Deir Al Asad learn basic CPR

ZAKA Search and Rescue

Justice Solberg to Netanyahu: Request to postpone hearing on Khan al Ahmar is ‘an embarrassment’

Regavim

Jerusalem College of Technology Holds Conference on Sexual Assault

J Cubed Communications

Authentic Bais Medrash Now Accessible Online

Zoomtorah.com

More Than 16,500 Tune into Weekly Movie Series about Heroism of Rescuers During the Holocaust

Jewish Foundation for the Righteous

1,100 Participate in the Inauguration of OU Kosher’s Community Relations Department

Orthodox Union (OU) Kosher

Israeli security experts thank US for “expending significant American diplomatic capital” for Israel-UAE peace

Habithonistim

New Humanitarian Dispatch Center Distributing Financial Aid Ahead of Holidays To People Hit By Coronavirus

United Hatzalah of Israel

StandWithUs Urges Suspension of Massive Arabic Facebook Page for Promoting Vile Antisemitism

StandWithUs

Experts Discuss Israel’s Legal Rights to Judea and Samaria in Light of UAE Peace Deal

HonestReporting Canada

Orthodox Union Kosher App Unveils Tevilas Keilim, Bug Checking and Pas Yisroel tools

OU Kosher

Virtual Series In Preparation for Upcoming High Holidays Launches

Orthodox Union

Record 2,600 Retirees Participate in Orthodox Union Virtual Programs During Pandemic

Orthodox Union

Kitah Unveils a new Online Jewish Education Platform to Help Schools Weather the COVID Crisis

Kitah

Thanking Our Son’s Rescuers

United Hatzalah of Israel

For The First Time Since Its Inception – United Hatzalah Receives Official Visit From Israeli Health Minister

United Hatzalah of Israel

Orthodox Union Launches Boot Camp to Train High Holiday Baalei Tefillot

Orthodox Union

EMET Applauds Israel and the United Arab Emirates for Achieving Historic Peace Deal

EMET: Endowment for Middle East Truth

Israeli-American Coalition for Action commends Florida State University for adopting IHRA definition of antisemitism

Israeli-American Coalition for Action

Minister Yoaz Hendel Runs 5K with Future Lone Soldiers Ahead of Drafting into IDF

Nefesh B'Nefesh

StandWithUs Connects With Communities Through Rabbis United Initiative

StandWithUs

Azerbaijan’s Jewish Community calls on American Jews to condemn Armenian violence and to stand with Israel’s Muslim-majority ally

Jewish Community of Azerbaijan

American Jewish Congress praises Lithuania for banning Hezbollah

American Jewish Congress

Activists Fume Against Attorney General, Protest in Solidarity with Social Activist

Im Tirtzu

It’s the largest quarry in Israel – and it’s illegal

Regavim

American Jewish Congress applauds Joe Biden’s historic selection of Sen. Kamala Harris as vice presidential running mate

American Jewish Congress

Coalition of more than 120 NGOs Calls on Facebook to Create a Comprehensive Hate Speech Policy on Anti-Semitism

StopAntisemitism.org

Tieks CEO Kfir Gavrieli to speak at American Jewish University’s B’Yachad Together Online Conversation Series

Tieks

Online Learning, High Impact Programming, Caring Communities, and the Family are Keys to Jewish Education Success and Living a Values-Oriented Life

NewCAJE

Caring Communities, Family are Keys to Jewish Education Success and Living a Values-Oriented Life

NewCAJE

Thousands of Israelis and evangelical Christians in Jerusalem mark the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, the Feast of the Tabernacles, on Oct. 10, 2017. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

JNS Promo+

Israel’s Top 50 Christian allies in 2020

Israel Allies Foundation releases its first annual list of the top 50 Christian leaders who have contributed to the Jewish state

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Analysis

Saudi Arabia uncovers terror cell trained in Iran by Revolutionary Guards

Michael SegallJCPAOctober 1, 2020

The Abraham Accords, signed by the UAE and Bahrain with Israel—and encouraged by Saudi Arabia—sharpened the disputes between Tehran and Riyadh over regional hegemony.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

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BDS co-founder warns First Abu Dhabi Bank against doing business with Israel

MEMRIOctober 1, 2020

Omar Barghouthi threatens boycotts against “every company and every establishment that gets involved in implementing the agreements of shame and betrayal of the Palestinian cause.”

Omar Barghouti. Photo by Kevin Van Den, Flickr/Creative Commons.

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Shin Bet to continue COVID-19 phone surveillance for additional 21 days

Ariel Kahana and JNS StaffOctober 1, 2020

Knesset Ministerial Committee on Intelligence Services discusses but fails to vote on whether to mandate that the public use an alternative Health Ministry phone-tracking app.

Tel Aviv, July 7, 2020. Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90.

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Israel, Nepal sign agricultural cooperation agreement

Israel Hayom StaffIsrael HayomOctober 1, 2020

The agreement aims to bolster relations between the two countries and help Nepal develop its agricultural sector to overcome the food crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi with Nepalese Ambassador H.E. Anjan Shakya (left) at the signing ceremony on Sept. 30, 2020. Credit: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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‘Israel has the makings of a cyber superpower’

Yoav LimorIsrael HayomSeptember 30, 2020

In the wake of the Abraham Accords, “the potential vis-à-vis the UAE is endless,” says Israel’s National Cyber Directorate head Yigal Unna.

Israel National Cyber Directorate Director General Yigal Unna speaks at the Homeland Security and Cyber conference in Tel Aviv, on Nov. 13, 2018. Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90.

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Israeli minister demands Amazon pull anti-Semitic books

JNSOctober 1, 2020

The global retail giant “should not be used to distribute anti-Semitic lies, rather it should promote knowledge and tolerance,” says Diaspora Affairs Minister Omer Yankelevich.

Blue and White Knesset member Omer Yankelevich attends a Knesset committee meeting, Aug. 5, 2019. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

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Israel delivers Iron Dome air-defense systems to US Army

JNSSeptember 30, 2020

Defense Minister Benny Gantz: “I am proud that this advanced system will also protect U.S. Army troops.”

Israeli officials at the ceremony held in honor of the delivery of an Iron Dome battery to the U.S. Army, September 2020. Photo by Ariel Hermoni/Israel Ministry of Defense.

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Petition calls for action against anti-Semitism in California school district

JNSSeptember 30, 2020

“Children have found swastikas on their lockers, on their books, their cars in the parking lots,” said Rabbi Stacy Friedman. “These are things we’ve been hearing about the past few years.”

Redwood High School in Larkspur, Calif. Source: Screenshot via Google Maps.

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Second tanker of Iranian fuel reaches Venezuelan waters

JNSSeptember 30, 2020

It’s part of a group of deliveries of 820,000 barrels of gasoline and other fuels to the once oil-rich nation.

Large tankers loading at Kharg Island Terminal, offshore in the Persian Gulf. As of 2012, the terminal has handled about 98 percent of Iran’s crude exports. Credit: National Iranian Oil Company via Wikimedia Commons.

A display of Iranian missiles on Aug. 22, 2019. Credit: Hamid Tavakoli/Wikimedia Commons.

newsIran: ‘We will help any country fighting the Zionist regime and the United States’

Michael Segall JCPA

Tehran is seeking to survive the window of time before the U.S. election without giving President Donald Trump the option of taking actions against it to score points during the race.

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UAE announces candidacy for seat on UN Security Council

JNSSeptember 30, 2020

The Gulf nation will work to ensure that its agreement with Israel “opens new intellectual horizons in the region,” says UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, addresses the General Debate of the 73rd Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, Sept. 25-Oct.1, 2018. Screenshot.

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Israeli Health Ministry tells hospitals to prepare 1,500 beds for COVID patients

Israel HayomSeptember 30, 2020

Meanwhile, the public is urged not to avoid seeking treatment for other medical conditions, especially life-threatening ones.

Israeli Health Ministry Director General Hezi Levy speaks during a press conference about the coronavirus, in Jerusalem on June 21, 2020. Photo by Flash90.

Staff at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem work in the hospital's COVID-19 ward on Sept. 23, 2020. Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90.

briefIn a first, Israel surpasses US in COVID mortality relative to population

Maytal Yasur Beit-Or and JNS staff Israel Hayom

Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein says it's “highly likely” that the country’s nationwide coronavirus lockdown will be extended past its current Oct. 10 deadline.

Israeli Finance Minister Israel Katz holds a press conference at the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem on July 1, 2020. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90.

briefIsraeli Treasury: Lockdown will cost $3.4 billion, not projected $5.7 billion

Gilad Zwick Israel Hayom

Chief Economist Shira Greenberg says the government’s decision to allow more industries to remain at least partially operational has mitigated the lockdown’s impact on the economy.

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Knesset passes law curtailing protests during COVID-19 lockdown

Gideon AllonIsrael HayomSeptember 30, 2020

Under the new law, passed following a stormy all-night parliament session, Israelis may not travel more than .6 miles to attend a demonstration or prayers, and public gatherings are limited to 20 people.

A protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Sept. 29, 2020. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90.

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2,000-year-old ritual bath airlifted to Israeli kibbutz

JNSSeptember 30, 2020

The ancient mikveh's discovery “changes what we knew about the lifestyle of the Jews in the Second Temple period,” say excavation directors Abd Elghani Ibrahim and Dr. Walid Atrash.

The 2,000-year-old mikveh discovered in the Lower Galilee, as it is about to be airlifted to Kibbut Hannaton on Sept. 30, 2020. Credit: Yaniv Berman/Israel Antiquities Authority.

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In first, Israeli and Emirati singers release duet

Israel HayomSeptember 30, 2020

“Hello, friend,” featuring Israel’s Elkana Martziano and the UAE’s Walid Aljassim conveys a message of peace between the two countries.

UAE's Walid Aljassim and Israel's Elkana Martziano collaborate in a new song of peace. Source: YouTube/Screenshot.

Featured Column

Jonathan S. TobinJNSSeptember 29, 2020

The left wants no part of liberal Israel

AOC’s snub of Rabin event means more than just hurt feelings at Peace Now. The star of “The Squad” is sending a message to pro-Israel Democrats: The party’s over.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) at SXSW 2019. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) addresses the Women's March on NYC 2019. Credit: Flickr.

briefOcasio-Cortez withdraws from event to commemorate Yitzhak Rabin

Jackson Richman

The Democratic Majority for Israel criticized her decision to back out of a program for Israel’s late prime minister, who served between 1974 and 1977, and from 1992 until he was assassinated on Nov. 4, 1995.

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Jewish groups react to Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to US Supreme Court

Jackson RichmanJNSSeptember 29, 2020

If confirmed, the candidate would strengthen the conservative bent on the nation’s highest court with a 6-3 majority—two of whom, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, were appointed under Trump in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Amy Coney Barrett delivers remarks after U.S. President Donald Trump announced her as his nominee for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in the Rose Garden of the White House on Sept. 26, 2020. Credit: Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks.

Featured ColumnRuthie Blum

Amy Coney Barrett, Jewish liberals and the US Constitution

For Jews who worship at the altar of abortion and gun control, RBG was practically a religious figure, and filling her seat with a Catholic who rejects judicial activism is blasphemous.

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Babi Yar at 79 … and its future

Judy Lash BalintJNSSeptember 29, 2020

Since the establishment of independent Ukraine, Jews are acknowledged, but attempts to create an official memorial that honors all victims and provides a framework to impart the message of “Never again” have repeatedly stalled.

Design for the Babyn Yar Memorial Center. Credit: BYHMC/Querkraft.

A view of a memorial with a Jewish menorah at Babi Yar. Credit: Office of the President of Ukraine.

briefUkrainian president honors victims of Babi Yar

“We have no right to forget these terrible crimes. Never again,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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Israel rolls out super-fast 5G network

JNSSeptember 29, 2020

Pelephone, Partner Communications and Hot Mobile were licensed by Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel to operate the next-generation technology.

Blue And White Knesset member Yoaz Hendel speaks during a conference of The Israel Victory Project in Ramat Gan on Sept. 8, 2019. Photo by Flash90.

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Columbia University student body passes BDS referendum

JNSSeptember 29, 2020

President Lee Bollinger reiterated his opposition to the move.

A Tufts University sign at the intersection of College Avenue and Professors Row on Nov. 4, 2015. Photo by Alonso Nichols/Tufts University.

newsPro-Israel group calls on Tufts to investigate dental student over hate-filled anti-Jewish tweets

Jackson Richman

StandWithUs warned that “Elayan’s online posts present an obsession with conveying hatred for Jews, relaying anti-Semitic tropes and posturing about a desire to harm Jews physically.”

Foellinger Auditorium at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Credit: Flickr.

newsUniversity of Illinois student government passes BDS measure for second time this year

Jackson Richman

Illini Chabad said the “resolution was written purely to back Jewish students in a corner. Jewish students should never have to choose between standing up for social and racial justice while also having to shed their Jewish identity and their connection to the Jewish homeland to do so.”

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French president Macron ‘ashamed of Lebanon’s political leaders’

JNSSeptember 29, 2020

“Hezbollah can’t be at the same time an army at war with Israel, an unrestrained militia against civilians in Syria and a respectable party in Lebanon,” says French President Emmanuel Macron.

French President Emmanuel Macron at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem on Jan. 22, 2020. Photo by Marc Israel Sellem/POOL.

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Biden compares Trump to Nazi-era propaganda chief Goebbels

Jackson RichmanJNSSeptember 29, 2020

“The president is not Hitler. Joe Biden is not Castro,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, adding that the comparison “degrades the memory of the Shoah.”

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. Credit: Flickr.

ColumnTrump, anti-Semitic? This is madness

Rabbi Yaakov Menken

The problem is the president’s deeds are not permitted to speak for themselves, and his statements are misconstrued for partisan purposes.

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Report: Qatar, Turkey push for Fatah-Hamas coalition

JNSSeptember 29, 2020

Doha, with Ankara's support, has proposed to P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas that he form a joint list in the Palestinian Legislative Council with the Gaza-based terror group, and then a national-unity coalition.

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a meeting of the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah, May 7, 2020. Photo by Flash90.

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World Zionist Organization condemns vandalism in England on Yom Kippur

Israel Hayom StaffIsrael HayomSeptember 29, 2020

A large yellow swastika appears on the hood of a car in the city of Bristol with its windshield covered in paint.

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Tehran denies Saudi claim that it arrested Iran-trained terror cell

JNSSeptember 29, 2020

Riyadh said it arrested 10 people and captured weapons from terrorists trained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Under the orders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, pro-Iranian militias in Iraq led mob attacks on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on Dec. 31, 2019. Source: Screenshot.

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UAE plans to launch unmanned spacecraft to moon by 2024

JNSSeptember 29, 2020

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: “The UAE will be the fourth country in the world to send a mission to explore the moon.”

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65 Israeli wines win medals in Decanter World Wine Awards

Abigail Klein LeichmanI21cSeptember 29, 2020

The “Oscars of wine” recognizes the products of 18 Israeli wineries, bestowing six gold medals, 31 silvers and 28 bronzes.

Wine barrels piled up at the Barkan winery. Aug. 2, 2012. Photo by Mendy Hechtman/Flash90.

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Kosha Dillz takes bite out of politics in rap about UAE-Bahrain deals

Eliana RudeeJNSSeptember 29, 2020

Even with the pro-normalization content, the New Jersey native of Israeli parents does not consider himself to be a “pro-Israel advocate” per se.

American rapper Kosha Dillz (aka Rami Matan Even-Esh). Credit: Kosha Dillz via Facebook.

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Will Hamas and Fatah unite in force as Israel develops ties to Arab world?

Ariel Ben SolomonJNSSeptember 25, 2020

The Fatah-led Palestinian Authority “has hit rock bottom and is in its worst political position since the first Gulf War,” said Middle East expert Ido Zelkovitz.

Palestinians in Ramallah, in the West Bank, protest against the normalization agreements with Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as the Jewish state increasingly seeks to foster diplomatic ties with the Arab world, Sept. 15, 2020. Photo by Flash90.