Mahmoud al-Habbash, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas adviser on religious and Islamic affairs, recently hailed terrorist attacks against Israelis as "resistance" in an interview with Egypt's state-linked Al Qahera News television channel.

"What happened in Tubas, Tulkarem, Jenin and Nablus and Hebron is an Israeli continuation of the war of annihilation and expulsion against the Palestinian people and an attempt to empty the Palestinian homeland," al-Habbash said in the interview, which aired on Sept. 3 but was discovered by the Palestinian Media Watch NGO on Thursday.

Al-Habbash's comments referred to ongoing Israel Defense Forces' counterterrorism operations throughout Palestinian Authority-controlled cities in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

"Is there fighting in the literal and traditional sense of the word? Not at all," he said. "Yes, there is Palestinian resistance, and this is our right, and it is the right of every Palestinian to defend himself. There is a unilateral war against the Palestinian people, and there are Palestinian attempts to respond and carry out self-defense."

Al-Habbash, the Palestinian Authority's top Sharia judge and a former minister of awqaf ("endowment") and religious affairs, spoke days after terrorists linked to Abbas's Fatah movement carried out a twin car bombing in the Gush Etzion area of Judea, wounding two Israeli soldiers and a security guard.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a "military" arm of the Fatah party, also claimed responsibility on Sept. 2 for a terrorist drive-by shooting that killed three Israeli police officers near the city of Hebron in Judea.

The IDF has confirmed that terrorist Muhannad al-Aswad had links to the Palestinian Authority and had served in Abbas's presidential guard.

The U.S. State Department told JNS last week that Fatah and Abbas have "consistently" proven their commitment to peace with the Jewish state.

"The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which the U.S. designated as a terrorist organization decades ago, has claimed responsibility for these attacks," a State Department spokesperson stated. "Despite some historical linkages in the past, it is important to note that this group is separate from the Fatah party," the spokesperson claimed.

Arab media routinely describe the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades as Fatah's "military wing," and the ruling Palestinian faction has long expressed support for the terrorist organization, which Ramallah pledged to disband under an agreement with Israel brokered in July 2007.

In a statement issued during the 2014 Gaza war ("Operation Protective Edge"), the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said that "Fatah's Central Committee, Fatah's Revolutionary Council and the regional Fatah leadership are supporting us, and they praised our Brigades' efforts to attack the oppressing enemy [Israel]."

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump warned at a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Saturday that Israel would be "doomed" if his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, is voted into the White House on Nov. 5.

"If I don't win this election, Israel, with comrade Kamala Harris at the helm of the United States, is doomed. Israel is doomed. That's a tough statement. Israel will be gone. One year, two years. Israel will no longer exist," the former president told supporters in the city of Mosinee.

Trump pledged to bring stability to the Middle East and to stop another world war from breaking out.

"We'll end the chaos in the Middle East and I will prevent World War III, and I'm the only one who can do it. I will prevent World War III," he said.

"I better win, or you are going to have problems like you've never had. We may have no country left. This may be our last election," Trump added.

The GOP leader made similar remarks in a live video address to the Republican Jewish Coalition's Annual Leadership Summit in Las Vegas last week.

At a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in August, Trump said that Jews in the United States are facing their greatest threat since World War II.

“What’s happening with Israel and Jewish people, there has never been a more dangerous time since the Holocaust if you happen to be Jewish in America."

The Trump campaign is appealing to Jewish Americans and Israel supporters disillusioned with the direction of the Democratic Party as well as courting Jewish Republicans, launching Jewish Voices for Trump last month.

Hamas is making faltering ceasefire talks with Israel more difficult by adding demands, including that Jerusalem commute the sentences of a large number of Palestinian terrorists serving life terms already during the first phase of a deal.

The Washington Post cited a senior U.S. official as saying on Saturday that while the two sides had agreed to the release of terrorist murderers in exchange for Hamas freeing Israel Defense Forces troops, Hamas last week decided that Israeli civilians would also need to be exchanged for these longtime prisoners, an idea the official described as a "poison pill."

Last week, Israel's Channel 12 reported that Hamas had increased the number of terrorist murderers serving life sentences that it is demanding be released during the initial days of the first phase of a deal.

CIA Director William Burns said on Saturday in London that reaching a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas terrorists will necessitate "some hard choices and some political compromises" from both sides.

Burns said that 90% of the proposed deal has been agreed on, but that "the last 10% is the last 10% for a reason, because it's the hardest part to do."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week dismissed reports suggesting that an agreement was close. "In fact, while we agreed in May, in July and in August to a deal, an American proposal, Hamas has consistently said no to every one of them," he said on Thursday.

Confidential documents obtained from the computer of a senior Hamas leader by IDF troops have unveiled the terrorist organization's calculated strategy of exploiting hostages, manipulating public opinion and rebuilding its military capabilities under the guise of ceasefire negotiations.

The document, which according to Channel 12 News was in the hands of the Israeli military in April, was found on a computer in the Gaza Strip believed to have belonged to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

The contents of the file, which have not previously been made public, expose how the terrorist group deceives the international community and torments the families of Israeli hostages. This manipulative effort aims to harness them toward the goal of rebuilding Hamas's military capabilities and securing its continued control over Gaza.

When Hamas's barbaric execution of six Israeli hostages was announced on the news, it sent immediate shock waves throughout Israel. It evoked the deepest of Jewish traumas—that of helplessness. After the shock came the rage. But the targets of that rage were not the same for everyone. The Israeli X feed was neatly divided. The right-wing feed was outraged at Hamas. The left-wing feed was outraged at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

I browsed left-wing tweets throughout that first day and astonishingly, the overwhelming majority did not even contain the word "Hamas." If you had only those tweets to go by, you might have reached the conclusion that Netanyahu murdered the hostages and that Hamas had nothing to do with it.

Here's a tiny sample:

"Sorry Hersh," tweeted Haaretz journalist Chaim Levinson. "Sorry that we failed to convince the narcissistic psychopath that leads us that your life is worth something."

A guy named Yossi Zabari tweeted, "Every citizen in the world needs to recite [these] words this morning: Netanyahu is a murderer."

"The government of destruction ... has decided to pass a death sentence on the hostages," wrote Knesset member Yair Golan, the current head of the Labor Party's new incarnation (now known as the Democrats).

Opposition head Yair Lapid tweeted, "Instead of doing everything to bring them back home Netanyahu is doing everything to remain in power." 

Here's one of a handful that did mention Hamas, albeit in passing. This is the former head of the Labor Party, Shelly Yachimovich: 

"Hersh, Eden, Uri, Carmel, Almog and Alex were murdered by Hamas, but the blood is on Netanyahu's hands. He erased all the sacred values that made the Zionist enterprise worthwhile and just. We are trapped in the clutches of a heartless distorted man, who lives in his own skull without a lobe of empathy [sic], despising the lives of others. They could have been here. May their memory be blessed." 

And so it went, on and on.  

Right-leaning tweets were very different. Apart from directing their anger at Hamas, posters made many suggestions on how to hold it accountable, how to retaliate and how to deter Hamas from ever raising a hand on a hostage again. Suggestion ranged from the impossible to the sensible to the mild.

One X user said Israel should start executing scores of terrorists held in its jails, and especially those that Hamas wants to free in a ceasefire deal. Others said it was high time that Israel enact capital punishment for terrorists. Still others said that no "humanitarian aid" should enter Gaza until the hostages are in our hands. This last idea felt especially poignant since one of the murdered hostages, 24-year-old Eden Yerushalmi, was starved by Hamas. Her body weighed 79 pounds when it was found. 

There were some X users with creative ideas. Law professor Eugene Kontorovich suggested to the Biden administration a formula to get the hostages back and end the war very quickly: "For every day Hamas does not give up the hostages, America will recognize 100 square dunams [roughly 25 acres] of Gaza as a permanent Israeli buffer zone. For every murdered hostage, 1,000 square dunams [250 acres]," he wrote, adding that the war "would be over in days."

The idea was picked up by Ben Shapiro in his show on The Daily Wire, but to no one's surprise not by the Biden administration. Nor by Israel's left-wing feed. 

Why not? The left feed has been insisting that the hostage issue ought to be at the top of our agenda, overriding all other issues. And so it begs the question—why are these same people so consistently uninterested in any idea designed to pressure Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to give the hostages up? Why, if the safe return of the hostages is their all-consuming concern, are they not searching for ways to deter Hamas from hurting hostages again? 

The answer is, I think, obvious: The hostages are an excuse. The protestors' real interest is toppling Netanyahu's coalition, which is why that is all their tweets talk about. And what is more chilling, they continue their war on the coalition even when it is clearly at the expense of the hostages, as many of them no doubt understand. One must be very naïve not to see that demonstrating for concessions from our own government in response to the execution of hostages only tells Sinwar that this atrocious strategy is working. Why would that cold-blooded terrorist not do it again and wait for the protesters to do his work form him? 

To those still unable to see that the demonstrators and their accomplices in the press are Sinwar's useful idiots, fulfilling his plan to pit us against each other and weaken our position, Netanyahu's Sept. 2 press conference offered some help. Netanyahu presented a translation of an Arabic, hand-written note found in a tunnel earlier in the war. The note laid out Hamas's strategy to manipulate Israelis into fighting each other instead of uniting against Hamas. 

The note contained these bullet points:

• Increase the dissemination of pictures and videos of the hostages because of the psychological pressure they create.
  
• Do everything to increase the psychological pressure on [Defense Minister] Gallant.
  
• Continue the line [of argument] that Netanyahu is responsible for what has happened.
  
• Sabotage the narrative that a ground operation serves the returning of the hostages. 

Every Israeli watching the premier's presentation must have had the same thought: Aren't Hamas and the "Never-Bibi" demonstrators literally working from the same operating manual? Aren't the demonstrators playing the part Sinwar has written for them?

All this has become even more obvious now that a detailed document on Hamas's strategic planning has surfaced in the German Bild newspaper. The plan specifies that blame for the failure of any deal should be shifted to Israel, and that Hamas should "continue to exert psychological pressure through the hostages' families—so as to increase through them the public pressure on the enemy government." 

The mainstream media,  itself a major player in the Never-Bibi info op, was not eager to emphasize the way the demonstrators are following Sinwar's playbook. Predictably, the usual suspects rushed to blame Netanyahu for everything, as they always do. Prominent columnists such as Haaretz's Yossi Verter, Maariv's Ben Caspit, Yedioth Ahronoth's Nadav Eyal, Channel 12's Amnon Abramowitz and Channel 13's Raviv Druker unfurled the party line: it's all on Netanyahu. Netanyahu has deliberately thrown in new demands (this time it was the Philadelphi Corridor, we were told) because staying in power is more important to him than saving the hostages.  

Since this is what the Israeli media keeps repeating in both Hebrew and English, much of the foreign press assumes it's true, and that Israelis generally believe it to be true. 

But, alas, that's wrong on both counts. Netanyahu could not have saved the hostages by giving up the Philadelphi Corridor even if he was so inclined. The corridor was never the only bone of contention. Giving it up (which Israel should not do) would not have brought about a deal. 

As Khalil al-Hayya, Sinwar's deputy for negotiations, recently reiterated, Hamas's demands for a deal have not changed. They are tantamount to an Israeli surrender:  

1. A permanent ceasefire.   

2. A complete withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from all of the Gaza Strip, including the security parameter along the border, the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor (which cuts the north of the strip from the south just below Gaza city). 

3. Rebuilding the whole of Gaza. 

4. An exchange of 50 terrorists for every female IDF soldier and 30 for every civilian in the first stage, then 500 terrorists for every male soldier in the second. 

These terms will eliminate all Israel's gains in this war and ensure that Hamas remains in power, able to rebuild its military capabilities with Iran's help, and its front-line cadres fresh from Israel's jails (where courtesy of our Supreme Court they get a well-balanced diet, diverse and certain to include enough fresh fruit). No prime minister of Israel can accept these terms because Israel's public won't. 

The media has been trumpeting polls saying most Israelis support a hostage deal. This is a crucial part of the narrative. But then, these polls do not specify what deal, or else present a deal that would never be accepted by Hamas. Of course, most Israelis want some deal—but not the one Hamas is offering. 

One Telegram channel owner got tired of the media's game. That person is, most probably, a former intelligence officer. He calls his channel, tongue in cheek, Abu Ali Express. But he is a serious professional and a reliable source of news from the Arab world, one many in Israel rely on. Over 400,000 Hebrew speakers subscribe to this channel. Abu Ali decided to run an opinion poll of his own. He first presented the Hamas terms for a deal, then asked his followers if they would have accepted it. 51,000 users responded in the space of two hours. Eighty-one percent said they would not accept such a deal, 10% said they would, 9% said they don't know. Granted, this is not a representative sample, nor a proper survey. Still, it is indicative of something. And it gives you an idea about how the mainstream media is misleading you. 

This public mood was also demonstrated by the collapse of last week's (illegal) attempt at a general strike. The Histadrut (the umbrella organization of Israeli labor unions) declared it—under pressure from demonstration organizers insisting they are the sole legitimate representatives of the families of hostages—only to fold it all at 2 p.m. the next day following a labor court ruling. The Never-Bibi activists found they don't really have enough troops. 

Still, in the immediate aftermath of the shocking news of the executions the protests drew more people than usual. Predictably, the media inflated the numbers. And then, mistaking the press coverage for reality, the Biden administration seems to have felt that perhaps the wave of anger that will topple Netanyahu has finally arrived. The president therefore chipped in, reversing earlier statements that put the blame on Hamas. He did it with a single word. Asked whether he thought Netanyahu was doing enough to conclude a hostage deal, the president simply said "no." But that too had little impact. 

It now seems that the protesters' attempt to harness the tragedy of the six hostages for their permanent political project may have just backfired. More people now see them more clearly as Sinwar's useful idiots. 

But the wrong turn the permanent anti-Netanyahu protesters took long preceded these recent events. It began soon after the war broke out. From the start, their arguments, focused as they were on Netanyahu's responsibility for Oct. 7, were not only controversial but also in the wrong conversation. For most Israelis, the question now is not who is responsible for the disaster, but who can lead us to victory. And the answer to that question cannot possibly be a Chamberlain in the guise of Benny Gantz, Yoav Gallant or Yair Lapid, all of whom are willing to cave in to Hamas's demands and leave it on its feet at the end of this war. 

Netanyahu owes his recovery in the polls to one thing above all. He never wavered on this one issue: The Gaza campaign must end with the clear defeat of Hamas. Nothing less. In this, he represents the majority in Israel. And it is that majority that has—and will—sustain him so long as he stays on this course.

The total defeat of Arab terrorists in Judea and Samaria should be added to Jerusalem's official goals in the war against Hamas, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reiterated on Sunday following a deadly shooting on the border with Jordan.

"It was with great sadness that I received the difficult news that a heinous terrorist murdered three Israelis at the Allenby terminal [crossing]," the minister said in a statement published by his office.

"The war we are in is not only against Gaza and Hezbollah [in Lebanon], it is also in Judea and Samaria," Ben-Gvir declared in the statement. "Just last week, I asked the prime minister to also include victory in Judea and Samaria among the goals of the war. I will continue to fight for this to happen."

The government's stated goals for the war against Hamas, which was sparked by the Oct. 7 massacre of some 1,200 people in Israel, include to destroy Hamas as an armed and governing force in the Gaza Strip and to ensure that it cannot threaten the Jewish state, as well as returning all hostages taken by Hamas during the cross-border attack.

Reaching a military or diplomatic solution that will allow the safe return of tens and thousands of citizens displaced from their homes near the Jewish state's northern border since Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah joined the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8 is another main objective.

Ben-Gvir's appeal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes as the security situation in Judea and Samaria further deteriorates.

Earlier on Sunday, three security guards at the Allenby Bridge crossing in the Jordan Valley were killed in a terrorist shooting. The terrorist drove in a truck to the crossing from the Jordanian side. He then exited the vehicle and began firing at civilians guarding the border.

The attack came a day after an Arab terrorist rammed his vehicle into a police car at a gas station outside the community of Eli in Samaria's Binyamin region. The plice car was empty, and nobody was injured.

One week ago, three police officers were killed in a shooting near the Tarqumiya checkpoint, some 7.5 miles northwest of Hebron in Judea.

The next day, Israeli forces neutralized a car bomb near the entrance to the town of Ateret in Binyamin. The 100-pound explosive was intended to detonate while a school bus was passing by, security officials believe.

On Aug. 30, terrorists linked to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement carried out a twin car bombing in the Gush Etzion area of Judea, wounding two Israeli soldiers and a security guard.

In the first half of 2024, Judea and Samaria saw more than 500 Arab terrorist attacks each month on average, according to figures published on Aug. 1 by Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria).

During that time period, first responders recorded 3,272 terrorist acts in the region, including 1,868 cases of rock-throwing, 456 attacks with Molotov cocktails, 299 explosive charges and 109 shootings.

Terrorists murdered 14 people and wounded more than 155 others in Judea and Samaria between January and June, the rescue group said.

A woman was assaulted in the southwestern German city of Heidelberg last week for wearing a “Bring them home now” T-shirt in support of the Israelis held captive in Gaza.

The attack came the same week that a gunman opened fire near the Israeli consulate in Munich on the anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre and was killed by police.

The couple was assaulted on Monday evening by a 29-year-old man as they were walking outside in the university town, according to images captured on CCTV.

The attacker grabbed the woman by the T-shirt, demanding she take it off, lightly injuring her, local media reported. When her husband tried to help his wife, the attacker punched him several times in the face, reportedly knocking out a tooth before fleeing the scene.

The attacker later posted about the incident on Instagram.

The Muslim suspect, who was arrested on Thursday evening in a nearby city where he lives, is a German national whose parents are from Lebanon.

He remains under arrest this weekend after failing to post a €10,000 bail.

The suspect told police that he was “bothered” by the woman’s T-shirt.

The German embassy in Tel Aviv did not immediately return calls for comment over the weekend.

An Israeli who lives in Germany and runs a restaurant in a nearby city told JNS on Sunday that she had previously gotten a restraining order from police against the suspect after he sold drugs to clientele and refused to pay for services.

“After that he got more aggressive, threatened me and called me a ‘dirty Jew,’” Iris Haas said.

A Hamas terrorist released in the November hostage deal with Israel was accused on Sunday of attacking his mother and sister with a knife at their home in eastern Jerusalem a week ago, Kan News reported.

According to the indictment, he threatened to slaughter his sister and cut off her head, and broke her nose and his mother's hand.

An interrogation after his arrest revealed that during a family dispute that began in the city's Silwan neighborhood, the suspect attacked his mother and sister with two broken glasses.

"He approached his little sister and threatened to slaughter her, cut off her head, bring a knife and a gun and kill her, while slapping her and hitting her in all parts of her body," police said.

He then came back armed with a knife and entered his sister's room through the window. His sister defended herself with a fan and he dropped the knife, attacking his mother when she tried to intervene, pushing and choking her, according to police.

The terrorist was sentenced in June 2023 to two and a half years in prison for throwing fire bombs at Jews' cars in eastern Jerusalem. It was defined as an act of terrorism. He was 16 at the time.

A total of 105 civilian captives taken to Gaza by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 were freed in November as part of a ceasefire agreement in which Israel released 240 Palestinian security prisoners.

Another terrorist released in the November deal was one of two gunmen killed in an IDF drone strike in the Balata camp on the outskirts of Nablus (Shechem) in central Samaria last month.

Wael Masha, 18, was freed from prison as part of the agreement a year after his arrest.

Days prior, another terrorist released from prison in November’s ceasefire deal with Hamas, Tarek Daoud, 18, opened fire on an Israeli man in Qalqilya, seriously wounding him, before being pursued and killed by security forces.

"There's no denying the uptick in antisemitism," stated Edna Weinstock-Gabay, CEO of Keren Hayesod. Since the onset of the Gaza war, North America has witnessed a surge in antisemitic incidents, particularly on college campuses. Some communities have faced outright threats, while criticism of Israel has occasionally escalated into violence. In Canada, the phenomenon has spilled onto the streets, with a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in public spaces.

"We're grappling with a new strain of antisemitism emerging from the left," explained Weinstock-Gabay. "This presents a unique challenge for Jewish communities, which were more accustomed to confronting antisemitism from the far right—like the devastating attack on the Pittsburgh synagogue a few years ago."

The growing antisemitism has seeped into the daily lives of North American Jews. An Orthodox Jew from New York described his new reality: "Before I step out of my apartment, I have to weigh whether to wear a kippah or a hat, whether to display my hostage pin or conceal it under my shirt." The situation in Canada mirrors these concerns. Sarah Mali, CEO of the Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA (the umbrella organization for all Jewish federations in the country) in Israel, reports that some Canadian Jews are now hiding religious symbols and avoiding public displays of their Jewish identity.

"Let's be clear—Jews in Canada still enjoy a good quality of life," Mali asserted. "But we can't ignore the extreme incidents that have erupted since Oct. 7. There's a palpable increase in feelings of insecurity. Some people are thinking twice about wearing kippahs, and I know of individuals who now lower their blinds when lighting Shabbat candles."

A campus crisis

In the United States, the spotlight has fallen squarely on colleges, where a troubling wave of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment has taken root. Shira Ruderman, CEO of the Ruderman Family Foundation, brings a personal perspective to this issue. With her daughter studying at Columbia University in New York and her son at Northeastern University in Boston, the campus climate has become a personal concern.

"It feels like the entire ideological and value system we believed in is crumbling," Ruderman reflected. "We thought we had it all figured out, that being Jewish in America was a non-issue. We saw ourselves as global citizens, fully integrated. Then suddenly, it's as if someone held up a mirror, forcing us to confront a harsh reality. The fundamental question has become: Does Israel have a right to exist? I'll be honest—I'm uneasy about my daughter being at Columbia right now. It's not just about physical safety; I worry about the intellectual assault, the potential brainwashing happening there," she said.

Ruderman pointed out that even in the United States, long celebrated as a bastion of religious freedom and free speech, Jews are now grappling with whether to conceal their identity.

"In some areas, there's genuine fear. Recently, a young woman had her Star of David necklace ripped off while riding the subway. On campuses, students have formed 'protection squads' to accompany each other. It's surreal—here we are in 2024 America, and Jewish students need escorts. Others don't even feel safe leaving their apartments," she said.

Strengthening community bonds

Yet, in the face of these challenges—or perhaps because of them—Jewish communities across North America are demonstrating remarkable resilience. Becky Caspi, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America in Israel, reports a surge in interest from previously unaffiliated Jews seeking to connect with their communities.

"Since Oct. 7, we've seen a strong desire among Jews to belong, to actively participate in Jewish life," she said.

The landscape of Jewish community life in North America is vast and varied. There are approximately 500 Jewish communities spread across the United States and Canada. Of these, 146 are organized as federations (the majority in the United States), while the remainder are smaller communities without extensive professional infrastructure. The events of Oct. 7, however, have reshuffled priorities across the board.

"We're witnessing a groundswell of interest in Jewish communal life," Caspi noted. "Our challenge now is finding meaningful ways to welcome and integrate these individuals into our communities. Our data shows that about a third of Jews are eager to deepen their understanding of Israel and Jewish life. Approximately a quarter express interest in becoming more involved in their local Jewish community activities."

The tragic events of Oct. 7 have rekindled a sense of Jewish national identity among North American Jews. This has translated into increased solidarity with Israel, even among those who previously showed little interest in the country. Many are rediscovering their Jewish roots, spurred in part by the rise in antisemitism. There's a growing recognition within the community that unity is essential for strength.

A young Jewish resident of Texas encapsulates this shift: "As a secular Jew, I've found myself more inclined to observe holidays and openly discuss my Jewish identity since Oct. 7." The sentiment echoes across Jewish communities, with many reporting that recent events have elevated their Jewish identity to a core component of their self-perception, both internally and in their public personas.

While acknowledging the gravity of rising antisemitism, Caspi advocates for a measured perspective. "Yes, people are more apprehensive. Some are choosing to remove visible Jewish symbols. This antisemitism demands our attention and a well-crafted response. But let's be clear— this is not pre-Holocaust Germany. Our government institutions, law enforcement and judicial systems stand firmly in support of the Jewish community. We are not alone in this fight," she said.

Paradoxically, the surge in antisemitism and general instability has sparked increased interest in immigration to Israel. Thousands have inquired about their eligibility to make the move. However, Edna Weinstock-Gabay noted a disconnect between interest and action: "Despite the heightened curiosity, we're actually seeing a 43% decrease in the number of people immigrating to Israel."

The gap between interest and action can largely be attributed to the current climate of uncertainty in Israel. The tense security situation, economic instability and ongoing internal debates surrounding judicial reform have given many potential immigrants pause. Americans and Canadians, accustomed to relative stability, are hesitant to uproot their lives without assurances about their future in Israel.

Yet amid these challenges, North American Jewry has demonstrated an unprecedented level of support for Israel since Oct. 7. This mobilization has taken various forms: financial contributions, volunteer efforts and public displays of solidarity. A prime example was the massive march in Washington, D.C., last November, which drew over 300,000 participants.

"Toronto witnessed a similar outpouring of support, with tens of thousands of Jews marching in solidarity," Mali recounted. "In other cities, smaller groups have taken to the streets, proudly waving Israeli flags. While being Jewish in Canada today comes with its complexities, this period has also highlighted the deep commitment Jews feel towards Israel. Canada boasts one of the strongest philanthropic Jewish communities worldwide. I was particularly moved by a seven-year-old boy from Victoria Island who lives with disabilities. He wrote me a letter, asking that his modest contribution be used to buy shoes for evacuees. These gestures speak volumes about our community's spirit."

The financial support from Jewish communities has been nothing short of extraordinary. This includes substantial donations from wealthy individuals as well as grassroots efforts collecting contributions dollar by dollar. To date, an impressive $852 million has been raised. "And we're not done yet," said Caspi.

Concurrent with these fundraising efforts, the community has intensified its lobbying efforts, seeking support for Israel from elected officials and senior leadership in both the United States and Canada. The Federation is channeling these funds toward rehabilitation and economic strengthening initiatives in Israel. This includes a community resilience loan fund and grants to various settlements.

Keren Hayesod has also played a significant role, amassing over half a billion shekels. These funds have been directed toward addressing critical issues in Israel, working in tandem with organizations like the Jewish Agency. The money supports terror victims, aids regional councils in the north and south of the country and funds various other essential projects.

A billion-dollar show of support

"Jewish communities have contributed over a billion dollars to Israel," Shira Ruderman stated emphatically. "This level of mobilization is unprecedented." Becky Caspi added, "These staggering figures underscore North American Jewry's unwavering commitment to Israel in times of crisis."

Sarah Mali struck a note of cautious optimism: "While we're navigating a complex situation, I remain hopeful. This past year has shown that the Canadian Jewish community can stand firm in the face of adversity. Yes, we face threats, but we've also strengthened our resolve. Our community now proudly proclaims: We are strong and proud Jews."

Shira Ruderman offered a concluding perspective on the state of American Jewry: "The Jewish community in America is robust, with Israeli-Americans playing a particularly vital role. There are approximately 850,000 Israelis living here, and they all share a common surname—Zionism. They wear their Israeliness and Judaism as badges of honor, without shame or compromise."

Originally published by Israel Hayom.

Kurdish writer Kamil Salman, in an article on the Saudi news portal Elaph titled "Fighting from behind civilians," criticized Hamas's operatives for hiding behind the civilian population in Gaza and thereby placing hundreds of thousands of people in mortal danger, a practice he called both foolish and cowardly.

Salman added that Hamas's fighters are manipulated by foreign elements and do not recognize the value of human life.

The following are translated excerpts from his article:

"The Palestinian combatant who fights his Israeli enemy is a brave fighter defending his right to his land. However, his courage loses credibility when he hides behind unarmed civilians.

"By doing so, this fighter presents the civilians with two options, both of which are grim: they must either guide the Israeli army to the Palestinian fighter’s hiding place—an act of betrayal that this great nation could not conceivably commit—or else remain silent despite knowing the fighter’s location, and pay the price for this.

"This is a catastrophe, because the Israeli enemy will treat the civilians as enemies who are harboring and collaborating with the armed combatants it is fighting, and therefore destroy the civilians’ homes, evict them and sometimes kill them.

"This scenario has repeatedly played out in Gaza, and it is now occurring in the West Bank and in South Lebanon. When will the Palestinian fighter learn the lesson and distance himself from civilians, realizing that it is concentrations of innocent civilians that will be harmed? Is this hiding [among civilians] a sign of military wisdom, or of growing stupidity? Is it courage or cowardice?

"O brave fighter, if you are fighting for your homeland, know that the homeland is not just the sand on the ground but also the lives and the honor of those unarmed, innocent people. Harming their honor and endangering their lives is tantamount to polluting the homeland.

"[So choose] one of two options: Either perfect your courage by confronting your enemy face-to-face, and thus prevent the danger from reaching your family, your loved ones, your neighbors and those dear to you, or else put down your weapon. There are many ways to confront someone stronger than you, and wise people know them—but insisting on exposing civilians to danger is recklessness and ignorance.

"Are 100,000 [sic] Gazans dead and wounded not enough for you? Are you hoping that your enemy will leave you alone if you hide behind civilians? Your enemy has been clear and explicit. It has repeatedly said that, if you hide behind civilians, the civilians will not be safe from harm—and it has repeatedly acted on this. Have you understood your enemy, or do you need more experience and more innocent victims in order to realize what your enemy is like?

"Oh jihad fighter, the method of hiding behind civilians is effective only when the civilians in question are the family members, loved ones or associates of the enemy army, not your own family members. Don't delude yourself that you did the right thing when you hid behind hundreds of thousands of people and saved your own life but placed their lives in danger. That is a dirty game that an honorable fighter should not engage in.

"They [i.e., Hamas] say they are doing this to blacken the name of the Israeli enemy and [demonstrate] its barbarity to the world. OK, now that you have blackened the name of your Israeli enemy, what has this philosophy done for you? What has it done for the Palestinian people? You beg the humanitarian [aid] organizations to help children, pregnant women, the elderly and the sick. Yet the countries of the world witness your tragedies and do not even verbally condemn your enemy. On the contrary, most of them support Israel with money, weapons and propaganda. So perhaps you are blackening the enemy's name only in your own eyes?

"You remember very well all the Israeli civilians that were killed and captured on October 7, who are enough to blacken your name for decades to come. That was [a real act of] of blackening [someone's name]! That is how the wise and the strong play [the game]. And if you are neither strong nor wise, leave it to those who have gained 70 years of experience. The PLO leaders fought the enemy before you with patriotism and loyalty for many decades, until they turned to wise diplomacy as a way to regain their rights. They know more than you about the Palestinian cause and its sorrows, and they never betrayed their cause or accepted the patronage of others, as you are doing today.

"The Arab leaders who waged three large-scale wars with Israel never betrayed the Palestinian cause. On the contrary, they owned it and were zealously committed to it, but they realized the power, the might and the cunning of their enemy and worked to safeguard the honor of their peoples by shifting to diplomacy [as a way to advance] this cause. But you [jihad fighters] are just teenagers who are manipulated by foreign hands and do not understand the meaning of [preserving] the dignity of innocent, unarmed people. You will realize it when it is too late."

Originally published by the Middle East Media Research Institute.