Slain Israel Defense Forces Sgt. 1st class (res.) Eviatar Ben Yehuda, 31, from Nitzan. Credit: IDF.
  • Words count:
    222 words
  • Type of content:
    Update Desk
  • Publication Date:
    Jan. 20, 2025
Headline
IDF soldier killed by roadside bomb in northern Samaria
Intro
The troops were reportedly traveling in a vehicle that hit an explosive device.
text

Israel Defense Forces Sgt. 1st class (res.) Eviatar Ben Yehuda, 31, from Nitzan in the country's south, was killed during "operational activities" in northern Samaria, the military announced on Monday morning.

An officer in Ben Yehuda's unit, the 8211 Reserve Battalion of the IDF's Ephraim Brigade, was seriously wounded in the same incident, according to military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.

Three more Israeli soldiers sustained injuries of various degrees in the incident, which took place in the Palestinian town of Tammun, northeast of the city of Nablus (Shechem), according to Ynet.

The soldiers had been traveling in a vehicle that hit an explosive device, according to the report.

Last week, five members of the IDF's Nahal Brigade were killed fighting Hamas in northern Gaza, according to the military. A truce with the Palestinian terrorist group went into effect at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday.

The death toll among troops since the start of the IDF ground incursion in Gaza on Oct. 27, 2023, currently stands at 408, and at 841 on all fronts since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Additionally, Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, a member of the Israel Border Police’s Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit, was fatally wounded during a hostage-rescue mission in Gaza in June, and civilian defense contractor Liron Yitzhak was mortally wounded there in May.

(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37052883-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6H02W22XT'; document.head.appendChild(script); script.onload = function () { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6H02W22XT'); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'Topics': 'israel-at-war,idf,judea-and-samaria,samaria,fallen-soldiers', 'publication_date': '25/1/20', 'article_type': 'Brief', }); }
More From Press+

JNS CEO and Jerusalem bureau chief Alex Traiman had the privilege of accompanying Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu last week for a historic meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. He joins JNS editor-in-chief Jonathan Tobin in Israel for a behind-the-scenes discussion of what was covered between the two leaders.

They’ll go beyond the headlines for a deep dive look at vital issues that will affect the Jewish state for years to come, including Trump’s Gaza plan; potential landmines between Netanyahu and Trump; internal pressure on Netanyahu; potential military action in Iran; the influence of the “woke right” on Trump; and the future of JNS.

Listen/Subscribe to weekly episodes on SpotifyApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsiHeart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Watch new episodes every week by subscribing to the JNS YouTube Channel.

https://youtu.be/hEpWjkhaFiY
(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37052883-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6H02W22XT'; document.head.appendChild(script); script.onload = function () { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6H02W22XT'); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'Topics': 'israel-at-war,idf,judea-and-samaria,samaria,fallen-soldiers', 'publication_date': '25/1/20', 'article_type': 'Brief', }); }
https://youtu.be/hEpWjkhaFiY
  • Words count:
    532 words
  • Type of content:
    News
  • Byline:
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 14, 2025

Linda McMahon, a businesswoman whom President Donald Trump nominated to be U.S. education secretary, told a Senate committee on Thursday that she would support a commission to investigate how well colleges and universities are fighting the surge in Jew-hatred since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack in southern Israel.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) told McMahon during the hearing that “antisemitism has become endemic in our universities” and asked the nominee if she would form a new panel to tackle Jew-hatred. “Yes, I would,” she said, inviting Marshall and perhaps other senators on the committee to work with her.

The increase in antisemitic incidents on college campuses came up repeatedly during McMahon’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

“We have seen the most unbelievable pro-terrorist propaganda, and again these universities taking federal money, getting federal funds, not protecting Jewish students, permitting encampments, permitting violence in some instances, attacks on students on their campuses,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). “Will you enforce the law to the hilt and will you make sure Jewish Americans are safe on our campuses are safe, for heaven sake?”

“Absolutely, or face defunding,” McMahon responded.

She told Hawley—who was interrupted twice by protesters, who were removed quickly from the hearing room—that she would move to revoke student visas from foreign students threatening Jewish peers on campus. Revoking such visas would send the foreign students back home.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) called the outbreak of antisemitism on campus “disgusting, frankly.” 

McMahon drew a line between protected speech and the attacks on Jewish students.

“I truly believe there should be First Amendment protection for discourse and for freedom of speech,” she said. “But when you become involved in activities that are actually endangering the students that are on campus, that is not what should not happen and those schools that accept federal funding that allow that to happen should face defunding.”

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said that the Trump administration has put several members of the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights on administrative leave. OCR is charged with responding to complaints about antisemitism, among other alleged bias. Congressional Republicans have proposed sharp cuts to the office. (JNS has reported that OCR rushed to reach agreements with schools in the final days of the Biden administration, per experts.)

“I would want to make sure we had everything we need to have in place to protect our students on campuses,” Kim said. “I’m frustrated, because I feel like this is such a clear place where we just can say, ‘Yes we want to make sure we have as much resources as possible to be able to fight antisemitism.’”

“When we see a surge in antisemitism, of course we should have a surge in resources to focus on that,” he added.

McMahon said she would review the staffing once she was confirmed and said she would report back to Kim. She declined to respond to the actions already taken or the GOP proposals to cut funding for the office.

That led Kim to say that “this whole debate feels like it’s untethered from just the reality on the ground.”

(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37052883-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6H02W22XT'; document.head.appendChild(script); script.onload = function () { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6H02W22XT'); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'Topics': 'israel-at-war,idf,judea-and-samaria,samaria,fallen-soldiers', 'publication_date': '25/1/20', 'article_type': 'Brief', }); }
  • Words count:
    1472 words
  • Type of content:
    Magazine/Feature
  • Byline:
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 14, 2025
  • Media:
    5 files

The unprecedented rise in antisemitism during the past 16 months is undeniable. Not a day passes without reports of antisemitic incidents worldwide, a relentless surge that began in the wake of Hamas's deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

While American university campuses and European cities have dominated international headlines, the past month saw a specific destination suffering from the hateful phenomenon: Australia.

Sydney-based Dionne Taylor navigates this new reality through dual roles: as a global PR manager and Australian emissary for ISRAEL-is, an Israel advocacy organization, and as a mother of daughters aged 10 and 14 during Australia's most volatile climate for Jews.

'The police did nothing'

Q: Recently, we witnessed a sudden wave of antisemitism across Australia. Were these incidents surprising? How has the atmosphere in Australia been lately?

A: "On Oct. 9, 2023, we got messages from our community security group saying, "If you are Jewish, do not leave your house for your own safety." That night, protesters at the Sydney Opera House burned the Israeli flag and chanted, 'F*** the Jews,' 'Gas the Jews.' The police stood there watching it happen and did nothing," Taylor said.

"There had been a few turning points that have made this situation so much worse, but that night, two nights after Oct. 7, Israel hadn't even gone into Gaza. The kibbutzim were still on fire, and this permitted the antisemites in Australia to behave this way. I feel like we've reached a fever pitch with the attacks that we've had just this last month. There was lots of spray-painting on cars and homes, firebombings of cars, a firebombing of a childcare center, and a synagogue. It's just been terrible."

Taylor emphasized most of the time, the attacks' victims have not been Jews. "So they firebomb someone's car and they're not Jewish. They spray 'F*** the Jews' or 'F*** Israel' on someone's home, and they're not Jewish. It's affecting the everyday Australians.

Dionne Taylor. Credit: Courtesy.

"A turning point was when they discovered a caravan in Sydney, about an hour away from where I live, that had explosives in it with instructions to blow up the synagogue and individual people's homes. It was a very targeted mission. This was intercepted, and incredibly terrifying. They said that if they were successful in achieving this attack, it would have gone down in history as the biggest terrorist attack in Australia that we've ever had."

Australia's historically low rate of violent crime and strict gun control laws make these incidents particularly alarming.

"[In terms of] terrorist attacks here in Australia, the Lindt Cafe was it," Taylor explained, referring to the 2014 attack in Sydney. "This was a major thing in Australia and it took everyone by surprise. We just don't have this type of, behavior or experience here until now," she added.

"The police suspect that it's an organized crime syndicate where they're hiring hitmen and paying them money to do it. The people who are actually committing the crimes are these lowlife losers, doing it just to get money. They're not necessarily antisemitic. They're just carrying out the act."

'Oct. 8 Jew'

Q: How did Oct. 7 affect the Jewish community in Australia? 

A: "The police have definitely stepped up their presence—it's called Operation Task Force Pearl. They've put on hundreds of policemen that are roaming our streets—I live in a densely Jewish-populated suburb.

"My kids are at a Jewish school and we pay security fees to have armed guards all the time. We've got police presence at synagogues and public Jewish gatherings. We had police helicopters flying right overhead trying to catch people who are doing these acts in the middle of the night. It's quite terrifying," she shared.

However, beyond the challenging reality faced by Australian Jews, Taylor pointed to an interesting phenomenon that emerged in the wake of Oct. 7: "I can tell you now that the Jewish community in Australia has their body in Australia, but their hearts in Israel. You know there's an expression, an 'Oct. 8 Jew'?"

A pro-Israel rally in Sydney. Credit: Courtesy.

The term, she explained, refers to Jews who found a renewed connection to their heritage and community following Hamas's attack.

"Now, the attendance in the synagogue and communal events is much bigger. That need to feel unified and united amongst your community has been amplified. We are leaning on each other for support here, and the Oct. 8 Jew is exactly that. It's the one who proudly wears Magen David now."

Q: You would assume Jews abroad would conceal their identity due to fear.

A: "For me personally, it just was never a thing. Being Jewish was always important to me, but it never truly defined who I was. Now, I feel it's very much defined who I am and my values, and I'm not the only person that feels that way. 

"For my children, this is the most heartbreaking thing. They take the bus to school and they stop wanting to wear it. This was early on in the war, and then it started again recently, because we just went back to school. They wanted to take off their Magen David, and I said, 'No, you should wear it. You'll wear it proud.'

"But the fact that it's in their psyche—a 10-year-old child should not be worried about that. Now I feel like it's in her mindset forever. That's really sad."

'Everyday Australians are victims too'

Q: There has been a lot of criticism directed at Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's response to rising antisemitism since Oct. 7, even from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself. Do you think this might have perpetuated the current incidents?

A: "We've had weak leadership from the start," Taylor said. She pointed to Albanese's delayed response to antisemitic incidents and Foreign Minister Penny Wong's refusal to visit southern Israel's attack sites as examples of what she sees as insufficient government action. "He simply cannot continue to be our prime minister. We need better role models here," she added.

An installation in Sydney calling for the Israeli hostages' release from the Gaza Strip. Credit: Courtesy.

Taylor identified two other factors fueling antisemitism: insufficient consequences for hate crimes and the growing influence of social media.

"Some digital influencers in Australia, that have gathered huge momentum, are digital terrorists," she said. "We also need stronger punishment. Someone got arrested for I think it was the spray-painting of one of the synagogues, and they got a $1,500 [$950-U.S.] fine. That was it. It's nothing. The punishment does not fit the crime."

Q: What are your thoughts about the new hate-crime legislation?

A: "I'm in support of anyone getting punished for doing bad things, but it's not enough. We've got about 100,000 Jews mostly concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne, and every single Sunday in the city, there are these pro-Palestinian protests in provocative places outside synagogues. They've made a law that now you can't protest outside of places of worship—so it's not right outside, but it's down the road. Why don't they just ban it? I heard it costs the taxpayer a lot of money to fund the police presence at these rallies.

"Everyday Australians are getting fed up with it, because they have to pay to keep it safe at these rallies. We had some Jewish rallies that were all very peaceful; we held hostage signs and a few people spoke, and we sang 'Hatikvah,' and that's it. We're not marching, it's not intimidating, we're not chanting hate speech. It's a very obvious difference between their rallies versus our rallies.

"The everyday Australians get caught up in this hatred. We need them to speak up, because they're victims of the antisemitic attacks too. Unfortunately, the loud minority is getting covered in the media. These behaviors are very un-Australian. We're peace-loving.

"At ISRAEL-is we've got some big goals here in Australia, because we've got a lot of antisemitism. I think we're the laughingstock of the world. We've got a very Zionist community, a very engaged community, and there's a lot of opportunity for us to do good work here."

Dionne Taylor holding former hostage Liri Albag's poster. Credit: Courtesy.

As I was about to wrap up our interview, I discovered Taylor draws inspiration from an unexpected source.

"I've been to every single rally that has ever occurred in Sydney. And at every rally, they hand out a hostage poster. Every single time, without fail, I randomly received Liri Albag's poster," she shared.

"I've always felt—I know this sounds weird—a connection to her. And when she came out [of captivity], all the stories that I've read about her and her character, her leadership, and her stamina, I've decided that I'm changing my Hebrew name to Liri. I've connected to her. I would love to meet her and just hug her."

Originally published by Israel Hayom.

(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37052883-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6H02W22XT'; document.head.appendChild(script); script.onload = function () { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6H02W22XT'); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'Topics': 'israel-at-war,idf,judea-and-samaria,samaria,fallen-soldiers', 'publication_date': '25/1/20', 'article_type': 'Brief', }); }
  • Words count:
    311 words
  • Type of content:
    Update Desk
  • Byline:
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 14, 2025
  • Media:
    1 file

Three hostages will be released by Gaza-based terrorist groups on Saturday, according to a Hamas official on Friday, in line with the terms of the ceasefire.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office published their names after it said the list was received from Hamas via mediators Qatar and Egypt. Set for release are Russian-Israeli Alexandre "Sasha" Troufanov, 29; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36; and Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn, 46.

https://twitter.com/StandWithUs/status/1890374467404308706

The Prime Minister's Office added that the names were being shared with the consent of their families.

The Hamas official confirmed to Reuters that Dekel-Chen was among those set to be released from captivity. Separately, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group said that it would free Troufanov as part of the arrangement.

Israel on Saturday is expected to release 36 terrorists serving life sentences and 333 terrorism suspects arrested in the Gaza Strip after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion of the northwestern Negev, according to figures from the Palestinian Authority Prisoners Ministry.

Israel has stated it will resume combat in Gaza if three hostages are not freed on time, after Hamas announced it was delaying the releases in response to alleged Israeli ceasefire violations.

Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump called for the ceasefire to be abandoned if Hamas did not release all hostages held in Gaza by noon Saturday.

Since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, 16 Israeli and five Thai hostages have been released in exchange for 566 Palestinian terrorists held in Israeli prisons. This will be the sixth round of hostage releases.

During the first six weeks of the ceasefire, a total of 33 hostages are set to be freed in exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinian terrorists held in Israel. Hamas says eight on the list are dead.

The war began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when gunmen killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.

Seventy-six hostages remain in Gaza, including 73 kidnapped on Oct. 7.

(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37052883-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6H02W22XT'; document.head.appendChild(script); script.onload = function () { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6H02W22XT'); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'Topics': 'israel-at-war,idf,judea-and-samaria,samaria,fallen-soldiers', 'publication_date': '25/1/20', 'article_type': 'Brief', }); }
  • Words count:
    2024 words
  • Type of content:
    COLUMN
  • Byline:
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 14, 2025
  • Media:
    1 file

It turns out there are some people who still believe in the symbolism and power of full-page advertisements in The New York Times. Among them are a great many Jewish celebrities and rabbis who believe the institution that remains the most important forum for left-wing journalism is the right place to feature their views about the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs and President Donald Trump’s policies.

So it was to the print edition of the Times that these quintessential “as a Jew” types turned to vent their anger about Trump’s proposal to send Palestinian Arabs out of Gaza. To them, the idea of taking a population primarily composed of people who claim to be refugees out of an area that has been devastated by war and giving them an opportunity for a new and better existence represents “ethnic cleansing.”

It was signed by a variety of “a,” “b” and “c” list actors and celebrities, as well as a few hundred liberal rabbis. You’ve heard of some of them: actors Joaquin Phoenix, Wallace Shawn and Debra Winger and playwright/screenwriter Tony Kushner. The names of others, like Jonathan Glazer, who got his 15 minutes of fame by denouncing Israel at last year’s Oscars ceremony when accepting an award for a movie about the Holocaust, may also ring a bell. Still others have attained a degree of notoriety by being inveterate Israel-bashers and anti-Zionists like writers Peter Beinart, Judith Butler and Naomi Klein.

The rabbis are a mixed lot. Some are still trying to maintain a line between what we used to call “liberal Zionism” and the intellectually fashionable stance of those who are explicit about favoring the destruction of Israel. Some of them gave up that pretense and are among those who seek to give a dubious religious endorsement to a position opposing the defense of the one Jewish state on the planet against genocidal terrorists.

But wherever they fall on that spectrum, they are the contemporary public face of those who seem to think that the essence of Jewish identity is to be found in that disreputable stance.

They are the “as a Jew” Jews.

Full-page ads in the Times may still cost a lot of money, even in an era when the overwhelming majority of those who read news outlets do so digitally rather than in print or only on social-media platforms. But the choice to go that route is more about serving notice to the left-wing political ecosphere that many prominent Jews take the side of those who oppose Israel’s existence and against those, like Trump, who have made it clear that they wish to eradicate Hamas terrorists rather than the Jewish state.

Oscars, 96th Academy Awards
From left: James Wilson, Leonard Blavatnik and Jonathan Glazer accept the Oscar for Best International Feature Film “The Zone of Interest” during the live “ABC” telecast of the 96th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on March 10, 2024. Credit: Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Can Trump succeed?

The feasibility of the president’s idea is debatable.

It’s not clear how it will be implemented, or if any Arab or Muslim nation is prepared to take in and absorb anything more than a token number of Palestinian Arabs, as Jordan’s King Abdullah was strong-armed by Trump to do in a visit to the White House this week. And there’s no doubt that Hamas and its many enablers in the West, as well as among nations in the region, are bitterly opposed to it. They’re against anything that will reduce their ability to use civilians as pawns in their ongoing efforts to turn back the clock to a point in time when the modern-day State of Israel didn’t exist.

If it is to happen, it would be predicated on a resumption of fighting in the Strip, presumably after the ceasefire-hostage release deal inevitably collapses. Despite the green light he received from Trump this week to return to the effort to eradicate Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prefers to stick to the terrible deal he was forced into accepting if it means that more of the remaining Israeli hostages are released. But given that Hamas will never agree to give up power in Gaza or its goal of returning the conflict to where it was on Oct. 6, 2023—meaning that it would be free to make good on its pledge to launch more Oct. 7-style atrocities—the war is bound to resume sooner or later.

The existential nature of the battle against Hamas is clear to almost all Israelis, including those who oppose Netanyahu. But it is of no interest to the “as a Jew” Jews, be they film industry figures, anti-Israel scribblers or liberal rabbis.

Their effort is spearheaded by a group calling itself “In Our Name.” Its website states a goal of raising money to help “organizations that support Palestinian-led efforts to build safety, dignity and self-determination in Palestine, and that support solidarity and other organizing among Palestinian and other Arab and Muslim communities in the United States.”

Ignoring the reality of Oct. 7

The language it employs is an effort to distinguish itself from the allegedly more avowedly anti-Israel groups like Not in Our Name, Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow. Even in the first days after the attacks on Jewish communities in southern Israel, members of this group were already fundraising and organizing to oppose Israel’s efforts to defend itself against those who had committed mass murder, rape, torture, kidnapping and wanton destruction on Oct. 7.

But any spin of In Our Name supporters as being somehow more principled or humane than those extremists is a distinction without a difference. Like those who have been demanding a cease-fire from the moment Hamas’s invasion of Israel was turned back, all of these people remain, at best, Hamas’s “useful idiots.”

Those who are raising funds to be employed in Gaza for the purposes stated are, whether they fully understand it or not, essentially propping up what is left of the rule of Hamas over the Palestinians. To speak of Palestinian “self-determination” in the context of the current war or to help bolster the network of pro-Hamas organizations that have spread the message of hatred for Israel in the United States should not be mistaken for neutrality about the terrorist movement that launched this war and seeks to keep it going until Israel surrenders or collapses.

While the supposed stated purpose is merely “humanitarian aid,” the world has seen in the last 16 months that most, if not all, of the money sent into Gaza is used in one way or another to bolster Hamas.

The signers of the letter might disavow any connection to antisemitism. But their willingness to stand behind the anti-Israel movement that has flourished on college campuses and in the streets of American cities is nothing less than an endorsement of the surge of Jew-hatred that has been mainstreamed on the left since Oct. 7.

Woke antisemitism

At the heart of this form of activism is more than the unrelenting hostility to Trump felt by many Jewish liberals and left-wingers. It’s also rooted in the toxic myths of critical race theory and intersectionality, as well as the associated woke catechism of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Trump is successfully opposing these terrible ideas as he seeks to roll back the hold that these leftist beliefs, which fuel antisemitism, have had on American society and governance.

The “pro-Palestinian” movement on the left isn’t a philanthropic effort to help Palestinian Arabs who have been used as props in the futile century-old war on Zionism. If it were, they’d be cheering Israel’s efforts to get rid of Hamas or the concept of resettling the descendants of the 1948 Arab refugees just as the even more numerous Jews who fled or were forced out of their homes in the Arab and Muslim world were long ago resettled.

This was made explicit by their statement in which they specifically support “Palestinian liberation.” They made clear that they don’t believe that working to destroy the Jewish state—something that could only be accomplished by the genocidal plans of Hamas—is antisemitic. They think that liberal Jews can only demonstrate their virtue by joining the left’s crusade to delegitimize Israel’s self-defense.

The push for Palestinian “self-determination” is a thinly veiled version of the idea that Israel is an illegitimate “settler-colonial” and “apartheid” state that should be dismantled. The notion that the conflict can be solved by a two-state solution is a myth that has been debunked repeatedly since 1948 as the Palestinian Arabs have rejected every offer of statehood and independence. They have told us again and again that they refuse to accept the legitimacy of a Jewish state, no matter where its borders might be drawn. To continue pushing for Palestinian statehood after those rejections is tantamount to acquiescence or endorsement of the struggle to destroy Israel, and has absolutely nothing to do with wanting peace.

Real ‘ethnic cleansing’

Moreover, the irony of Jews who think expelling hundreds of thousands of Jews in Judea and Samaria from their homes to create a Palestinian state is a virtuous cause expressing horror about “ethnic cleansing” is lost on the political left.

Equally important, those who claim the Palestinians must stay forever in Gaza aren’t interested in their welfare. Suffice it to say that the real “ethnic cleansing” movement is not the idea of resettling people who claim to be refugees someplace other than one run by terrorists whose only goal is to use it as a launching pad for unending war on the Jews. Ethnic cleansing of Jews from their ancient homeland isn’t just the goal of Hamas. It is inextricably tied up with Palestinian national identity and also backed by other supposedly more “moderate” Palestinian factions.

Post-Oct. 7, to refuse to see this isn’t just a matter of ignorance or deliberate blindness to the nature of a conflict that even most left-wing Israelis understand is about their existence. At this point, to ignore the truth about the political culture of the Palestinians is tantamount to supporting Jewish genocide.

The Times ad doesn’t express the views of a significant number of American Jews or even most liberal Jews. But it does provide a degree of intellectual cover and legitimacy to the antisemitic movement that seeks to label Israel as a pariah state. As such, it is part of the effort to complete the transformation of the Democratic Party into a bastion of anti-Zionism and antisemitism, as well as boost efforts to enshrine it as the orthodox position in left-wing outlets like the Times.

A line must be drawn

That is why the response of American Jewry to this latest iteration of the “as a Jew” phenomenon should not be complacency or ignoring it as insignificant.

As much as many Jews regard Trump as beyond the pale, they need to understand that whatever their feelings about him, opposing his pro-Israel policies and realism about the Palestinians isn’t routine partisanship or liberal idealism. We’ve come to the point that it must be seen as an expression of neutrality or even tacit support for a Nazi-style war against Jewish existence being waged by a bizarre red-green alliance of leftist ideologues and Islamists.

It’s time to tell these “as a Jew” renegades that we will not accept their claim to the moral high ground against Israelis or even Trump. Functional support for Palestinian “self-determination,” which means backing Hamas and its war, isn’t morally neutral or an expression of liberal Judaism’s universalist and humanitarian ideals. It is an immoral stance that puts its supporters on the side of 21st-century Nazis. Such persons deserve to be held up for opprobrium, not lauded for their supposed “courage” for opposing Trump, conservative Jews or Israel. It is they—and not Netanyahu or Trump—who must be treated by all decent persons, no matter their political affiliations, as pariahs who richly deserve our contempt.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS (Jewish News Syndicate). Follow him at: @jonathans_tobin.

(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37052883-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6H02W22XT'; document.head.appendChild(script); script.onload = function () { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6H02W22XT'); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'Topics': 'israel-at-war,idf,judea-and-samaria,samaria,fallen-soldiers', 'publication_date': '25/1/20', 'article_type': 'Brief', }); }
  • Words count:
    224 words
  • Type of content:
    Update Desk
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 14, 2025
  • Media:
    1 file

A man in his 60s was attacked with an ax in his yard in the Gan Ner community in northern Israel's Gilboa region on Friday.

The victim, who sustained light wounds, was taken to Emek Medical Center in Afula, while the attacker fled the scene.

Residents of Gan Ner were instructed to stay indoors until further notice, as security forces searched for the attacker.

Initial suspicions indicate it was a terrorist attack, and the assailant is believed to be an Arab.

The community is located around 18 minutes from Jenin, where the Israel Defense Forces are carrying out "Operation Iron Wall" targeting terrorist infrastructure in northern Samaria. As part of the operation, Defense Minister Israel Katz has authorized the destruction of buildings tied to terrorist activities.

Police rule out security threat in Tamra

Earlier on Thursday, police ruled out a security incident after arresting a suspect near Tamra, an Arab city in the Lower Galilee, about 12 miles east of Acre. Authorities initially investigated whether the suspect was carrying an explosive belt.

The suspect, who appeared agitated and uncooperative, was detained when officers noticed concealed electronic devices on his person. Following an initial investigation, the devices are suspected to be connected to an exam-cheating scheme.

Three individuals have been arrested as the investigation continues, with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) also involved in the case.

(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37052883-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6H02W22XT'; document.head.appendChild(script); script.onload = function () { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6H02W22XT'); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'Topics': 'israel-at-war,idf,judea-and-samaria,samaria,fallen-soldiers', 'publication_date': '25/1/20', 'article_type': 'Brief', }); }
  • Words count:
    708 words
  • Type of content:
    Opinion
  • Byline:
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 14, 2025
  • Media:
    1 file

For Palestinians, terrorism quite literally pays. While the international community continues to debate so-called obstacles to peace between Israelis and Palestinians—and even considers the Palestinian Authority as a potential governing body for Gaza, despite its deep unpopularity—one of the most glaring and dangerous barriers to the P.A.'s legitimacy is its systematic financial incentivization of terrorism.

This policy, commonly known as "pay for slay" or "the Martyrs Fund," rewards those who commit acts of violence against Israelis, ensuring that terrorism remains a profitable path rather than a deterrent to peace.

The P.A. hands out more than $300 million annually in stipends to terrorists and their families, a program that has been enshrined in Palestinian law, requiring 7% of the P.A.'s budget to be allocated to these payments.

Terrorists who murder Israelis receive higher salaries than Palestinian teachers and doctors. A terrorist serving a life sentence earns four times the average Palestinian salary and eight times the minimum wage. The more blood spilled, the greater the financial reward.

Headlines broke this week over P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas issuing a decree revoking the Martyrs Fund payments, leaving many shocked and surprised by the move. But for those who suspected it was too good to be true, they were likely right—because Abbas's so-called restructuring of these payments is nothing more than political theater.

The decree, which allegedly transfers these payments to a new "Palestinian National Foundation for Economic Empowerment," does not dismantle the terror stipend system; it simply rebrands it under a different name. Abbas still appoints the leadership of this new entity, and there is no transparency to ensure that payments will now be based solely on economic need rather than rewarding violence.

This latest maneuver is a desperate attempt to placate international donors while continuing the same heinous practice through alternative means.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed this announcement as a "fraudulent exercise," and American lawmakers from both sides of the aisle remain highly skeptical. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) pointedly stated, "It would be naive to think that after years of facilitating terrorism against Israelis and Americans, the Palestinian Authority would suddenly have a change of heart." Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) added, "I'll believe it when I see it."

Open defiance

The P.A. has a long history of defying international pressure and refusing to end "pay for slay." The United States attempted to curb the policy with the 2018 Taylor Force Act, cutting U.S. aid to the P.A. unless these payments ceased.

Abbas openly defied the law, increasing the terror stipends instead. Former Jenin Gov. Akram Rajoub doubled down in a recent interview, stating unequivocally, "The Palestinian Authority will not stop funding the families of our martyrs even if we are down to the last penny."

Despite this, Western countries continue to funnel money into the P.A.'s coffers. Just this week, the European Union announced an increased funding package of €296 million ($310 million) to the P.A.—money that will inevitably support terrorism.

Meanwhile, the P.A. spends more on terror stipends than on healthcare for its own citizens, further proving that its priorities do not lie with improving Palestinian lives but with sustaining a culture of violence and martyrdom.

The ramifications of "pay for slay" extend far beyond the financial aspect. This system has deeply embedded terrorism into Palestinian society. In schools, Palestinian children are indoctrinated with martyrdom culture, learning that attacking Israelis is a noble path rewarded both in the afterlife and by the P.A.'s bank account. The celebrations that erupt in Gaza, and Judea and Samaria after terror attacks are not spontaneous, they are the result of decades of systematic glorification of violence backed by financial incentives.

The international community cannot continue turning a blind eye. So long as the P.A. actively rewards terrorism, peace will remain an illusion. Real peace requires the dismantling of this blood-soaked economic model. Words and decrees from Abbas mean nothing without verifiable, transparent action. The United States and its allies must hold the P.A. accountable and ensure that "pay for slay" is truly abolished—not just rebranded.

Until then, the P.A.'s empty gestures should not be mistaken for progress.

Originally published by Israel Hayom.

(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37052883-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6H02W22XT'; document.head.appendChild(script); script.onload = function () { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6H02W22XT'); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'Topics': 'israel-at-war,idf,judea-and-samaria,samaria,fallen-soldiers', 'publication_date': '25/1/20', 'article_type': 'Brief', }); }
  • Words count:
    134 words
  • Type of content:
    Update Desk
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 14, 2025

President Donald Trump has announced a major trade corridor connecting India, Israel, Italy and the United States.

This ambitious project aims to reshape global trade with extensive investments in ports, railways and undersea cables.

The announcement came during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Thursday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1TBAbMnevs

"We agreed to work together to help build one of the greatest trade routes in all of history. It will run from India to Israel to Italy and onward to the United States, connecting our partners by ports, railways and undersea cables. Many, many undersea cables. It's a big development. It's a lot of money going to be spent and we've already spent some, but we're going to spending a lot more," Trump said.

(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37052883-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6H02W22XT'; document.head.appendChild(script); script.onload = function () { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6H02W22XT'); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'Topics': 'israel-at-war,idf,judea-and-samaria,samaria,fallen-soldiers', 'publication_date': '25/1/20', 'article_type': 'Brief', }); }
  • Words count:
    742 words
  • Type of content:
    Update Desk
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 14, 2025

Any plan allowing Hamas to rule Gaza would be unacceptable to Israel and ineffective in resolving the conflict, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.

President Donald Trump is willing to take the lead on rebuilding Gaza, as no other viable plans have been proposed, the American diplomat said during an interview on "The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show."

Rubio said that "if someone has a better plan—and we hope they do—if the Arab countries have a better plan, then that’s great. Then they say they do, they’re going to come up with it, we’re going to look at it, see what it’s regarding and what it does.

"Obviously, I can tell you that any plan that leaves Hamas there is going to be a problem because Israel is not going to tolerate it. We’re going to be right back where we were. So—but we’re going to give them a chance to come up with a plan.

"I think they’re working in good faith—and not just to pay for it, by the way, because they’re not just—someone’s going to have to go on the ground. I mean, Hamas has guns. They have weapons. Someone has to confront those guys. Who’s that going to be? It’s not going to be American soldiers. If the countries in the region can’t figure that piece out, then Israel is going to have to do it, and then we’re back to where we’ve been. So that doesn’t solve the problem."

Rubio also mentioned ongoing diplomatic efforts, including meetings in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Egypt and Jordan, to explore alternative solutions for the Gaza Strip. He made it clear that the Trump administration is open to other proposals but, for now, its plan remains the only option on the table.

Middle East tour

Rubio will visit Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from Feb. 15-18, Foggy Bottom confirmed on Wednesday.

“Secretary Rubio’s engagements with senior officials will promote U.S. interests in advancing regional cooperation, stability and peace,” State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a press statement.

“The trip will center on freeing American and all other hostages from Hamas captivity, advancing to Phase II of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and countering the destabilizing activities of the Iranian regime and its proxies,” the statement continued.

Before his first Middle Eastern trip since his Senate confirmation on Jan. 20, the American diplomat traveled to Germany on Thursday to attend the annual Munich Security Conference and the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, both held in the Bavarian city.

His visit follows Trump’s proposal to relocate Gazans out of the Gaza Strip, after which the coastal area would be turned over to U.S. control for rebuilding. It also comes amid Israel’s tenuous truce with the Hamas terrorist group and the release of hostages held in the Strip.

The truce is “tenuous” because Hamas is a terrorist organization responsible for violence against civilians, Rubio told journalist Chris Cuomo by phone on NewsNation on Tuesday.

Rubio noted that Hamas does not operate according to international law, rendering the ceasefire uncertain.

“We’ll see what happens on Saturday. I think the President [Trump]’s been very clear he wants to see those hostages come—be released. He’s tired of this drip, drip every week. There’s some Americans there as well. He wants to see them released, and he’s made very clear that if that’s not the case on Saturday, then then all bets are off. And it’s not going to be good for Hamas,” the secretary of state said.

“But let’s hope that that resolves itself. I don’t think anyone wants to see a resumption of hostilities. But by the same token, we can’t have Hamas deciding what parts of the deal they’re going to live up to and what parts they’re not,” Rubio said.

Rubio on Monday described Hamas as an “evil” organization that must be wiped out.

During an interview on talk radio channel SiriusXM Patriot, he condemned the terrorist group for its treatment of hostages.

“This is an evil organization. Hamas is evil. It’s pure evil. These are monsters. These are savages. That’s a group that needs to be eradicated,” he said.

(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-37052883-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6H02W22XT'; document.head.appendChild(script); script.onload = function () { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6H02W22XT'); gtag('event', 'page_view', { 'Topics': 'israel-at-war,idf,judea-and-samaria,samaria,fallen-soldiers', 'publication_date': '25/1/20', 'article_type': 'Brief', }); }