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Saturday, February 07, 2026

02/07 Links: Beneath Gaza, Israel's war with Hamas has only begun; Former hostage Nimrod Cohen announces return to IDF; UN's Albanese says humanity has 'common enemy' in Israel at Al Jazeera forum

From Ian:

US Jewish orgs are reassessing ‘allies’ after Oct. 7 betrayals, key Jewish leader says
American Jewish organizations are rethinking the value of traditional coalition-building efforts after many long-time allies “punched us in the gut” following the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations William Daroff told The Times of Israel Thursday.

Ahead of the organization’s annual mission to Israel later this month, Daroff, considered one of the most influential figures in American Jewry, said that community leaders are thinking about how to “press reset” after the ceasefire and hostage return that brought Israel’s two-year war in Gaza to a level of closure.

After the shock of the Hamas attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 kidnapped, the Jewish world experienced a second shock afterwards, on the proverbial “October 8,” when many saw friends and partners turn against Israel or stay silent, Daroff said.

“The day after the attack, we were punched in the gut a second time when we saw how many of our erstwhile friends and allies, with whom we’d marched and supported, abandoned us,” he said.

For years, mainstream Jewish organizations have invested heavily in community-relations work, building ties with African American, Latino, LGBT groups and labor unions, among others, Daroff said. They joined coalitions on issues such as raising the minimum wage, civil rights and broader social justice agendas. Part of the purpose was basic decency, but there was also a strategic aspect: an expectation that when Jews faced rising antisemitism or when Israel was under attack, those allies would stand with them.

That assumption did not hold after October 7, however, Daroff said.

“The unions that we had stood with abandoned us,” he said bluntly. “Now, in an environment where organizations have limited resources, I think there needs to be a reassessment of how we prioritize engaging with allies.”
Caroline Glick: The truth about Israel and Middle Eastern Christians
Today it is the Christian communities that are being pushed out of many Middle Eastern countries. As Ambassador George Deek, a proud Israeli Christian Arab has explained , “The ethnic cleansing of Christians in the Middle East is the greatest crime against humanity of the 21st century. In just two decades, Christians like me have been reduced from 20 percent of the population of the Middle East to a mere four percent today.”

Christian communities are often compelled to keep their religion to themselves. Dan Burumi, a Jordanian convert to Christianity living in forced exile, recalled in a recent essay on X that last year, Christians in Fuheis, the last Christian majority town in Jordan, installed a statue of Jesus in the town square. “Within two hours, they were forced to remove it because it was deemed provocative to Muslims.”

In recent months, on instruction from Prime Minister Netanyahu, the IDF stepped in to stop the massacre of Druse in Syria. He stated repeatedly that Israel remains committed to defending threatened Christian communities from Syria to Nigeria.

Those presenting false claims of Israeli state persecution of Christians and an equally false portrait of Christian life in the Muslim Arab world are distorting reality. If they are believed, they will make the world less safe for Jews. But as Israel has proven, the Jewish state is capable of defending itself. Those who will be truly harmed by these distortions are the people they claim to care for – the Christians of the Middle East.
The essence of Palestinian identity clashes with Israel’s existence
What is the difference between positive and negative nationalism?
Positive nationalism is a positive concept. It stands for – for the people, the unique culture of the people, the language of the people, an affinity with the historical homeland, and so on.

Negative nationalism, on the other hand, is negative. It is against – against others, their language, their culture, and so on; against various characteristics of the others’ collective-national existence. Hence, negative nationalism does not stand on its own merits but is essentially antagonistic.

Ideological identity is an identity whose organizing axis is a political, economic, social, or cultural ideology. Certainly, the identity of every person is multidimensional. The question, however, is what is the central organizing axis? For a person whose central organizing identity axis is the national identity, belonging to the people and its derivatives are the top priority, whereas for a person whose organizing identity axis is ideological, the specific ideology becomes primary, and through this prism, he also examines the real and desired reality.

This is the place to ask whether Palestinian identity is a national identity. Let’s check:
● An ethos of common family origin at the dawn of history – This ethos is not unique to the Arabs of Judea, Samaria and Gaza specifically, but to the entire Arab region.
● Unique language – There is no Palestinian language, nor is there a uniform Palestinian dialect, but, rather, dialects of the Arabic language common to the entire region.
● Historical homeland – Until the late 1920s, Palestine was never perceived as a separate territorial unit with any special connection to any Arab subgroup. Even today, the symbols of the Palestinian organizations all feature Palestine within the borders of the British Mandate, which are the borders of the colonial division of the Middle East following World War I.
● Unique culture – The culture of the local Arabs is not fundamentally different nor unique in relation to the other Arab groups in the Middle East. There are certainly local nuances, but these belong to specific places or spaces and not to Palestine as a territorial unit.
● Unique history – There has been a unique history in the last hundred years, and it is entirely focused on resistance to the realization of the Zionist enterprise, and the existence of the State of Israel, usually through wars and terrorism.

It seems that Palestinian identity does not meet the characteristics of positive nationalism.

Negative national expressions
A glance at the core documents of the Palestinian movements, alongside their ongoing propaganda, will reveal that they are full of negative nationalist expressions of the denial of the existence of the Jewish people, denial of the historical connection of the Jews to Palestine, and denial of the realization of the right to self-determination for the Jewish people through a sovereign Jewish state in Palestine.

These are aimed at achieving an ideological goal – the nullification of the achievements of the Zionist enterprise and the cessation of the existence of the State of Israel.

This is a radical concept that is the foundation of Arab resistance to Zionism, and it is what makes the idea of ​​a Palestinian state clearly unfeasible, since such a state would devote all its resources to achieving the purpose of its existence – namely, Israel’s destruction.

It is possible that, through a complex process, Palestinianism will undergo a metamorphosis and transform from a negative ideological identity into something else.

It is also possible that the Arabs will choose instead an Arab national identity that has long historical baggage and cultural depth and, most importantly, does not entail anything that requires confrontation with the Jewish people, the Zionist enterprise, and the State of Israel.

The Abraham Accords, as well as courageous figures acting in the Arab region for Arab-Jewish cooperation and friendship, may serve as excellent proof of the feasibility of this.


UN's Albanese says humanity has 'common enemy' in Israel at Al Jazeera forum
Humanity “now has a common enemy,” United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese told the Al Jazeera Forum via video link on Saturday night during her speech condemning Israel.

Albanese, appearing at the same conference as Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, spoke during the panel "The Palestinian Cause in a World Moving Toward Multipolarity."

During the panel, she condemned countries for maintaining relationships and arms trade with the Jewish state and alleged global inaction during the two-year Israel-Hamas War.

“The fact that most of the media in the Western world has been amplifying … the genocidal narrative is a challenge. But at the same time, here also lies the opportunity,” she said. “Because if international law has been stabbed in the heart, it is also true that never before has the global community seen the challenges that we all face.”

She stressed that humanity “now has a common enemy … And the respect for fundamental freedoms is the last peaceful avenue, the last peaceful toolbox that we have to gain our freedom.”

“We need to stand up, we need to do the right thing,” she said.


From CPS to education, Britain is failing to confront antisemitism
At a time when antisemitism is plainly on the rise, Britain likes to believe that it at least understands the problem and is prepared to police it. The law is clear. The rhetoric is firm. Yet a series of recent Jewish Chronicle revelations points to something more troubling: an institutional failure not merely to confront antisemitism, but even to recognise or properly acknowledge it.

Such failures are especially grave when they occur in institutions entrusted with enforcing the law and educating the next generation: the Crown Prosecution Service, universities and schools.

Following our investigation last week into ten cases of alleged antisemitism in which prosecutions were delayed, mishandled or dropped altogether, further concerns have emerged from within the CPS’s own oversight mechanisms. JC reporting has revealed deep unease among Jewish community representatives sitting on hate crime scrutiny panels. Members report that antisemitic incidents are often minimised, rationalised, or reframed as “political views.” Furthermore, their concerns are frequently dismissed, and transparency regarding rejected cases is insufficient.

The result, as panel members have warned, is a chilling loss of confidence among British Jews that the law offers them equal protection.
Father of Manchester Yom Kippur Attacker Sparks Outrage With Antisemitic Posts Praising Hitler, Hamas
The father of the terrorist who perpetrated last year’s deadly Yom Kippur attack in Manchester is again drawing outrage after posting an antisemitic message praising Adolf Hitler and asserting that Jews “got what they deserved.”

“Israel is a state that grew on the skulls of our people in Palestine,” Faraj al-Shamie wrote in a post on Facebook. “The state that was born has, since its establishment, insisted on killing, destroying, and uprooting people.”

“Jews and their Muslim cousins lived in peace and harmony for hundreds of years, and Islam granted them security and good treatment — until Hitler came and did what they deserved,” he continued.

According to his social media profiles, al-Shamie is a surgeon who has worked with multiple nongovernmental organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, operating in conflict zones including South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Mali.

“Look at history — no people or group has survived after building its life on murder, racism, destruction and displacement. No oppressor remains. The oppressed will inevitably prevail,” al-Shamie wrote in a post on Facebook.

“Israel will not be an exception to this history, and no matter how strong it becomes, it will not be able to change the laws,” he continued.

Last year, his son — identified by police as Jihad al-Shami, 35 — carried out a deadly attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, driving a car onto the grounds of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester, northern England, before launching a stabbing spree that killed two Jewish men and left at least three others critically injured.
Netanyahu to fly to Washington to discuss US talks with Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with President Donald Trump in the U.S. capital on Wednesday to discuss Washington’s negotiations with Iran, the premier’s office said on Saturday night.

“The prime minister believes that any negotiations must include limiting [Iran’s] ballistic missiles and halting support for the Iranian axis,” the Prime Minister’s Office added.

The prime minister had been expected to meet with Trump on Feb. 18, but has moved up his travel plans.

The statement was made in the wake of an Axios report that the White House is planning to hold the first meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 19.

“Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the administration is planning it and has started checking which leaders are able to attend,” said one source, who did not identify by name.

“It will be the first Board of Peace meeting and a fundraising conference for Gaza reconstruction,” a U.S. official was quoted as saying.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu met with Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, emphasizing that Israel will not compromise on its war aims in the Gaza Strip, and cautioning against trusting Iranian promises.

Netanyahu reiterated to Witkoff that Hamas must be disarmed and Gaza demilitarized before any reconstruction efforts begin, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The prime minister also said that the Palestinian Authority could not play any role in administering the Gaza Strip, the statement added.
Board of Peace to meet for first time in DC on Feb. 19
The Trump administration plans to host leaders from the Board of Peace in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 19, Axios reported on Friday night.

“Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the administration is planning it and has started checking which leaders are able to attend,” said one source, who did not identify by name.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accepted an invitation to join the board, is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump in the U.S. capital on Feb. 18, according to the report.

The Israeli premier has not yet signed the charter to join the Board of Peace.

The board’s meeting is meant to advance Phase 2 of Trump’s 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip, Axios reported. The second phase involves the disarming of Hamas in the area that it holds west of the so-called Yellow Line that runs through the Strip, and the reconstruction of the devastated territory after two years of war.

“It will be the first Board of Peace meeting and a fundraising conference for Gaza reconstruction,” a U.S. official was quoted as saying.

The Israeli government has remained adamant that the reconstruction phase will begin only after Hamas lays down arms. Although a technocratic Palestinian government—the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG)—to run civil matters in Gaza has been established, it has been operating thus far from Egypt. The Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Sinai had reopened on Feb. 1, but only a small number of individuals have been entering or exiting.


Beneath Gaza, Israel's war with Hamas has only begun
The Gaza Strip is in ruins, and in the IDF there is an assessment that even now Hamas operatives are using remaining tunnels to hide, especially as targeted killings continue. There, underground, the enemy is preparing for the day after.

"You can dig a hole in the ground too," says Lt. Col. Y. "To stop it, you need something more complex, and it's not at the system-wide, IDF level. The destruction caused by the fighting is now fertile ground for digging. How do you distinguish, amid entire neighborhoods lying in rubble, between someone clearing sand to salvage belongings from a destroyed home and someone digging a tunnel? At this stage Hamas isn't fantasizing about strategic tunnels. It's planning moves that can yield a tactical advantage in the next round of fighting. And that's something it knows how to do."

Lt. Col. R., commander of the 603rd Battalion, knows where the challenges will arise soon.

"The tunnel in Gaza City that housed Hamas' intelligence data was 13 meters deep, in a UNRWA compound," he says. "It took time to find it, and while we were searching for the shaft, a deputy battalion commander and a company commander from the IDF's Shaldag unit were killed by a sniper ambush. The electricity we identified underground was connected to UNRWA headquarters. That's the challenge. Identifying a digging workshop in the middle of nowhere and saying, 'These are Hamas operatives,' is easy. Identifying a UNRWA employee building what appears to be a regular structure in his compound is different. No one notices if instead of 10 trucks, 200 trucks of sand leave the site. He builds a tunnel in a place that is hard to strike because of legitimacy and international law."

As we spoke, gunfire could occasionally be heard across the border. With it came the understanding that despite the return of the body of Ran Gvili, the final hostage, and talk of the next phase in Gaza, it will take a long time before the threat to the south of Israel is removed.

"The underground threat we will face in the future won't resemble what we're dealing with today, so we'll have to improve," Lt. Col. Y. is convinced. "Factually, Hamas is deterred. But the question is whether it has a choice. From its perspective, what it went through was successful. To sustain two and a half years of fighting against the strongest army in the Middle East, regardless of how, all within a relatively small territory, that's a significant achievement in its eyes."
Former hostage Nimrod Cohen announces return to IDF: 'Didn't do enough during my mandatory service'
Former Gaza hostage Nimrod Cohen announced that he is planning to complete his military service during an interview with N12’s Ulpan Shishi.

Cohen was abducted from a burning tank by Hamas near Kibbutz Nirim on October 7, 2023, along with the murdered bodies of fellow Armored Corps soldiers Omer Neutra, Oz Daniel, and Shaked Dahan.

He was kept hostage for more than two years before being released on October 13, 2025.

By the time he was kidnapped, Cohen had done 10 months of the two years and eight months that Israeli men are required to serve. “I didn’t really do my service, the way I see it. I served for 10 months until I was kidnapped,” he said.

“Operationally, I managed to be there for something like two months. The rest of the time I was in training or exercises and didn’t really do what I define as significant service,” he added. Ex-hostage says ee-enlisting is best way to heal from October 7 trauma

According to Cohen, the best thing he can do to heal is to be active.

“The best healing a person can have is to stay active and maintain some kind of routine. Being at home all day would be awful. And also enjoying yourself: How much can you really fly? I flew twice. After those flights, I felt that I needed a bit of rest at home. I said I would save my strength for the next flights,” he said.

“I don’t want to be sitting at home doing nothing, and also don’t want to start working, because I don’t feel ready for it. The military has the correct framework for me in this moment of my life,” Cohen said.
IDF slays Gaza terrorist who took part in Oct. 7 onslaught
Israeli soldiers this week killed a terrorist in northern Gaza who participated in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, the Israel Defense Forces said on Saturday.

The Palestinian, identified by Military Intelligence as Hamas operative Muhammad Salah a-Din Khaled Abu Rakba, crossed the Yellow Line on Thursday and approached troops in a manner that posed a threat to them, the army said.

Troops from the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade combat team “immediately” killed the terrorist.

“IDF forces under Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue to act to eliminate any immediate threat,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.

The so-called Yellow Line runs through the Gaza Strip from the north to the south. The IDF controls the area east of the line, which comprises about 54% of the territory.

The terms of the truce stipulate that any crossing of the line constitutes a violation. Hamas, which rules the western part of the Strip, is supposed to lay down its arms as part of Phase 2 of the peace initiative led by the Trump administration.

However, the Islamist terrorist group has stated on numerous occasions that it will not do so.


Protests planned as Herzog’s upcoming visit to Australia prompts anti-Israel outcry
President Isaac Herzog’s planned visit to Australia this weekend, which was scheduled in the wake of the Bondi massacre in December, has drawn widespread opposition and organized protests, including from some Jews.

Following Herzog’s invitation to visit the country by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, some Labor Party members and anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian groups called for the invitation to be rescinded.

Those calls have reached a fever pitch in recent weeks, with Australian human rights lawyer Chris Sidoti calling on Albanese to rescind the invitation or arrest Herzog on arrival for inciting “genocide.”

Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, defended the visit in an interview with ABC radio, telling the station that it was the wishes of the Jewish community following the December terror attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney that killed 15.

“We have the Australian Jewish community, who have been targeted in an overtly antisemitic terrorist attack. We have had 15 Australians die, we have families mourning, and this was a request from the Jewish community for President Herzog to visit,” said Wong, herself a staunch critic of Israel.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald published Friday, Herzog called Sidoti’s statements “another lie and another distortion of the facts,” adding that he was visiting the country to “visit my sisters and brothers of the Jewish community to console and pay our respects to the grieving families and to the community.”

Herzog is expected to visit the country from Sunday to Thursday and is slated to meet with Albanese as well as the survivors and the families of the victims of the shooting.


Will Herzog’s Australia visit and new legislation assuage Jews’ fears after Bondi attack?
The government’s invitation to Herzog in the wake of the attack caused dissent within the Labor Party, but the government has framed it as standard diplomatic protocol.

“We have the Australian Jewish community, who have been targeted in an overtly antisemitic terrorist attack. We have had 15 Australians die, we have families mourning, and this was a request from the Jewish community for President Herzog to visit,” said Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, herself a fierce critic of Israel, in an interview with ABC radio.

The anti-Israel Palestine Action Group has announced a protest against Herzog’s visit. The New South Wales police has extended certain restrictions on protests that were enacted following the Bondi attack, citing the behavior of some protesters who “continue to incite violence and cause fear and harm.”

Meanwhile, the non-Zionist Jewish Council of Australia has called for Herzog to be “arrested or barred from entering Australia,” and Australian human rights lawyer Chris Sidoti has called on Albanese to rescind the invitation or arrest Herzog on arrival for inciting “genocide.”

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald published Friday, Herzog called Sidoti’s statements “another lie and another distortion of the facts,” adding that he was visiting the country to “visit my sisters and brothers of the Jewish community to console and pay our respects to the grieving families and to the community.”

The planned protest highlights concerns by some that the visit could inspire more backlash against an already beleaguered local Jewish community. But Mike Kelly, a former Labor minister and the current co-head of Labor Friends of Israel, thinks the visit will be successful.

“It has the potential to recalibrate the relationship between Federal Labor and Israel. I know there will be national demonstrations [against Herzog’s visit], and accusations that he is a war criminal, but that’s just ridiculous,” said Kelly. “Herzog is a progressive — he fought for gay rights in Israel, and he fought for climate change, he has been a voice for peace, and he supports the two-state solution, and this is the exact type of person you want to be engaging with. He is coming here to show solidarity and healing with the Jewish community.”

While officials said during a press conference earlier in the week that police knew of “no particular… threat” to Herzog, a 19-year-old Sydney man was granted bail on Thursday after he was charged with making online threats to the Israeli president.


Trump: ‘Very good talks’ with Iran on nuclear agreement
Washington and Tehran held “very good talks” in Oman regarding the Iranian nuclear project, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday.

As tensions continue to mount in the Gulf region following Trump’s warnings that the Islamic Republic better not crack down on protesters, the president also mentioned in recent interviews that if negotiations between the two nations go well, a military operation can be averted.

On Friday, the American leader told reporters that “we’re in no rush,” though he warned that consequences would be “very steep” if a deal is not reached, The Hill reported.

“You have to get in position. We have plenty of time if you remember Venezuela; we waited around for a while and we’re in no rush,” the president replied when asked about a timeline.

“We have very good talks going with Iran. We have very good talks going with Russia and Ukraine. We’re doing a lot of good talking,” he said.

Trump continued, “The results today with Iran …, we’re going to meet again early next week.”

According to Axios, negotiations were held in person between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The meeting in Muscat lasted close to eight hours and was mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the report continued.

Trump said that Tehran is offering much better terms than those it offered before the war in the summer, Axios reported.
When Tyrants Beg for Talks: The Danger of Empowering Iran's Soul Crushing Murder Factory Once Again
The plea from Iran's regime is clearly a last-ditch effort to hold on to power so the mullahs can keep on torturing, slaughtering and putting out the eyes of their citizens.

Whenever Iran's regime feels weak, it discovers "negotiations." In Shia Islam, you are told that if "Islam" is being threatened, you are to practice dissimulation (taqiyya). For Iran's mullahs, "talks" have always been a tactic to buy time, reduce pressure, and strengthen their hand.

When President Barack Obama came to power, Tehran quickly pivoted toward negotiations. The result was a fake deal that rescued the mullahs when they were at their most vulnerable. The deal offered not only "breathing room," but more than $150 billion, and, after a few years – which would already have ended on October 18, 2025 – as many nuclear weapons legitimately as the regime could have built. This "breathing room" not only led to the Iranian regime's re-empowerment, but helped to finance its entire war industry, including the nuclear weapons.

Years of repression, corruption, economic mismanagement, and brutality have created a population that has risen up against the ruling elite again and again, while the US and other ostensible protectors of freedom, such as the UN, looked chastely the other way. The social contract between the Iranian state and its citizens is now sustained only through brutality, terror and fear.

The principle of "responsibility to protect " exists precisely to address situations where a regime brutalizes its own population, yet time and again, the United Nations ignores this principle when it comes to Iran. The double standard is beyond obvious: accountability is demanded elsewhere -- often wrongly, with a breathtaking lack of justice -- but postponed forever where Iran is concerned. It is probably high time for the Trump administration, out of respect for US taxpayers, to slash funding to this corrupt collection of narcissists more than it already has.

Trump's sustained economic and military pressure on Iran has, for the first time, put the Iranian regime on the defensive. To throw away such an opportunity would be a mistake of historic magnitude.

Any deal offered at this stage — no matter how well-intentioned — would serve only the interest of Iran's regime -- not that of America or the world. Even partial legitimacy would strengthen a system built on savagery and terror. If the US administration imagines that Iran would abide by anything it signs on paper – with infidels! – it may no longer deserve to lead the free world.

If President Donald Trump's loud military threats are seen by its adversaries as just a bluff, America's national security is at stake.... Deterrence works only if it is believed.

There is also a moral dimension. Negotiating with this regime at this time would signal to the Iranian people that their suffering, their protests, their imprisonment, and their tens of thousands of deaths can be brushed aside in the name of diplomatic expediency.

Iran's regime has survived for nearly 50 years by lying and deceiving, as advised by taqiyya, to extract concessions. The regime has so far succeeded in conning eight US administrations and the international community, and will no doubt attempt to do so again. Every accommodation handed to this regime will be converted into repression, instability and terror.

To discard this opportunity now would be a strategic and moral devastation. The path forward is not "negotiation," it is refusing to empower evil at its worst.


Ask Haviv Anything: Episode 88: America's "24% problem" with young antisemitism, with Jonah Platt
Is American Jewish identity weakening before our eyes? Are American Jews, caught in a whirlwind of hatred directed both at Israel and at the Jews themselves, turning their backs on their Jewish identity?

Jonah Platt joins the podcast to talk about the growing numbers of Jews moving in the opposite direction: From quiet assimilation to unapologetic, intentional pride. We confront the sobering data on the rise of antisemitism among Gen Z and discuss Jonah's defiant hope that the "switched-on" generation will reclaim its story -- both in Hollywood and beyond. A great deal depends not on the young, but on their parents. American Jews must move past defensive anxiety to become a "pillar of fire" for their children.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Jonah Platt and His Podcast
03:29 The Birth of 'Being Jewish' Podcast
08:22 Cultural Differences: American vs. Israeli Jews
14:16 Engaging the Disengaged: Finding Jewish Community
20:14 The Role of Hollywood in Jewish Representation
28:15 Navigating Jewish Identity in a Polarized World
28:51 Courage in Public Discourse
31:35 The Fear of Standing Up
33:01 Modeling Integrity for Future Generations
34:01 The Anxiety of American Jews
37:06 Rising Antisemitism Among Youth
39:21 Recognizing and Combatting Hate
42:10 Optimism Amidst Challenges
44:55 The Role of Young Jewish Leadership
48:26 Cultural Renaissance in American Jewry


Erin Molan: EXPOSED: The Regime in Iran Isn't Negotiating, They Are Reloading! Guest: Elliott Abrams
He advised three U.S. presidents on Iran — and right now, every word matters.

In this Weekend Edition of The Erin Molan Show, Erin Molan sits down with Elliott Abrams, one of the most experienced U.S. foreign-policy hands of the last four decades.

Abrams has advised Presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump, serving at the highest levels of government on some of the most consequential decisions involving Iran, the Middle East, and U.S. national security.

In this wide-ranging and unfiltered conversation, he breaks down:
Whether the U.S. is edging closer to a direct confrontation with Iran
Why bluffing on the world stage can be dangerous
The risks of a “nuclear-only” Iran deal
What a collapse of the Iranian regime would mean for the Middle East — and the world
Why Iran’s actions matter far beyond the region, from terrorism to global stability
What the international community should be doing right now for the Iranian people

This is not speculation.
This is perspective from someone who has been in the room when history-shaping decisions were made.


How Antisemitism Returned to the American Mainstream | Coleman Hughes
In this conversation, Yonit Levi and Jonathan Freedland are joined by Coleman Hughes to examine the changing face of antisemitism in the United States — and why it is now emerging from both the left and the right.

They explore how intersectionality has reshaped attitudes toward Israel on the American left, while long-standing antisemitic currents on the right are re-entering public life as media guardrails weaken and extremist voices gain visibility.

The discussion also tackles one of the most contentious questions in today’s discourse: the moral equivalence debate between Israel and Hamas. What does it mean to compare democratic societies with terror movements? How should intent, civilian harm, and political goals be weighed in wartime?

This episode looks beyond slogans to ask harder questions about violence, ideology, and the limits of moral comparison — in America and far beyond.

Chapters
00:00 Understanding Anti-Semitism in America
10:58 Media's Role in Shaping Perspectives
17:04 Comparative Views on Israel and America
22:44 The Political Landscape and Its Implications


Scream boycott from pro-Palestine activists fails as horror sequel heads for huge box office opening
A boycott of Scream 7 from pro-Palestinian activists appears to have failed as the horror sequel eyes a potentially record-breaking box office debut.

Fans of the franchise had previously vowed to boycott the movie after Scream star Melissa Barrera was fired in 2023 for posting her support for Palestine following the October 7 attacks in Israel.

However, the boycott seems to have stumbled as Deadline reports that Scream 7 is on track to open with around $30million when it hits theatres on February 27.

If those numbers hold, Scream 7 could have the second highest opening in the 30-year-old franchise's history.

Despite some backlash, the latest sequel has garnered plenty of attention thanks to the return of leading lady Neve Campbell.

Campbell, 52, previously refused to come back to the franchise for 2023's Scream VI due to a pay dispute.
Antisemitism is not Catholic: Why the church cannot platform Candace Owens
When Catholic institutions invite speakers who promote antisemitic conspiracy theories, the concern is not about free speech but about upholding Church teachings. Catholic doctrine expresses deep respect for the Jewish people, recognizing them as elder brothers and sisters in faith. This bond, rooted in sacred scripture and affirmed through Church teaching, stands as an unbreakable covenant that demands both respect and active opposition to any form of Jew-hatred.

Within this context, statements by Candace Owens, a self-identified Catholic political commentator, are especially concerning. Her repeated use of antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories directly contradicts Catholic teaching. Giving her a platform at faith-based events risks scandal and undermines the Church’s commitment to truth, charity and interreligious harmony.

The Second Vatican Council, in Nostra Aetate (1965), unequivocally condemned antisemitism as incompatible with the Gospel: “The Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel’s spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of antisemitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”

This teaching echoes the words of Pope Pius XI in 1938, who declared that “spiritually, we are all Semites,” and insisted that antisemitism is “a movement with which we Christians can have nothing to do.”

Pope Francis has stated that “antisemitism is a sin against God,” emphasizing the Church’s call to solidarity and the rejection of any ideology that dehumanizes or demonizes Jews. These teachings reflect core Catholic principles: the inherent dignity of every person, created in God’s image, and the commandment to love one’s neighbor.

Antisemitism violates these principles by fostering division, prejudice and hatred.

Catholic institutions do not merely “host” speakers; they confer moral credibility and signal that a speaker’s views align with Church teachings. Granting legitimacy to rhetoric that conflicts with these teachings risks confusing the faithful and undermining the Church’s moral authority.

Public statements by Owens are incompatible with the Catholic faith. She has defended aspects of Adolf Hitler’s early actions in Germany, mocked Jewish concerns over antisemitic remarks by figures like rapper Kanye West and claimed that Hollywood is controlled by “sinister Jewish gangs.” She has also promoted conspiracy theories alleging that Jews orchestrated the slave trade; urged audiences to study antisemitic texts such as German theologian August Rohling’s Der Talmudjude (which revives medieval blood libels); and described Israel as a “cult nation” while referring to the Star of David as a “hexagram.”
Texas launches legal action against CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood, Antifa
Ken Paxton, the attorney general in Texas, has launched a series of high-profile legal actions targeting alleged terrorist-linked organizations as part of his efforts to combat domestic and foreign extremism in the state.

On Feb. 5, he announced a lawsuit against the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) “to stop the terrorist groups from operating in Texas.”

According to the 32-page filing submitted to a Collin County district court, the State of Texas alleges that the Muslim Brotherhood “is a radical terrorist organization that exists to usurp governmental power and establish dominion through Sharia law” and that it has “covertly operated in the United States under the name ‘CAIR’ for decades.”

The document states that “the group is not peaceful. It is not tolerant. It does not respect the freedom to practice other religions or sects, including Christianity and Judaism.”

Paxton is seeking temporary and permanent injunctions to halt all operations, fundraising, property ownership and recruitment by the organizations in Texas.

The attorney general also turned his attention to domestic terror groups. On Feb. 6, Paxton initiated legal action against the Houston-based Screwston Anti-Fascist Committee, described by his office as an “Antifa-affiliated unincorporated nonprofit association,” alleging violations of Texas law tied to doxing and violence.

“Radical leftists have engaged in coordinated efforts to militantly attack our nation and undermine the rule of law,” he said. “These deranged traitors will face the full force of law. No stone will be left unturned, and no tool will be left unused.”


Anti-Israel activist leads former congressman, shunned by AIPAC, in NJ special primary
Analilia Mejia, a progressive activist backed by some of Israel’s fiercest critics in Congress, holds a narrow lead for the Democratic nomination for a vacant U.S. House seat in New Jersey against former congressman Tom Malinowski.

On Friday afternoon, Mejia had 18,058 votes (28.9%) and Malinowski 17,382 votes (27.8%) in the special primary in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

Given the district’s strong blue hue, the winner of the Democratic primary will be a strong favorite to win the April 16 special election against Joe Hathaway, a Republican, to succeed Democrat Mikie Sherrill, who resigned her congressional seat when she was elected New Jersey governor last November.

In the past, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has supported Malinowski, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state and two-term congressman, who led throughout the night until Mejia moved ahead and remained there with 93% of the vote counted as of Friday afternoon.

This time around, AIPAC’s United Democracy Project spent $2.3 million against the frontrunner, who has a history of defending the Jewish state, in negative ads, phone calls and mailings.

Mejia has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, promised not to take an AIPAC-funded trip to Israel and received endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)

J Street endorsed Malinowski this time, and Patrick Dorton, a spokesman for the AIPAC super PAC, told JNS last month that there were “several candidates in this race that are far more supportive of the U.S.-Israel relationship than Tom Malinowski.”
Texas Republican faces another close primary challenge from YouTuber who has used Nazi imagery
On Dec. 18, U.S. President Donald Trump offered his “complete and total endorsement” of Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), as the moderate Republican seeks re-election in the state’s 23rd Congressional District.

Trump called Gonzales “a terrific representative” and stated that “a retired master chief petty officer from the U.S. Navy, who bravely deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, Tony knows the wisdom and courage that is required to defend our country, support our brave military/veterans and ensure peace through strength.”

Gonzalez, who faces a close primary challenge again from a YouTuber who has made references to Nazis that critics have called antisemitic, has also received accolades from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. (The primary is on March 3.)

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Gonzales, who traveled to Israel in February 2022 with an AIPAC partner, has voted to fund the Jewish state and co-sponsored legislation supporting Israel after Oct. 7, and he co-sponsored bills sanctioning the Iranian regime, the pro-Israel group states on its site.

The congressman has said, “I am both enraged and horrified by the brutal attacks being carried out by Hamas against Israel” and “fully stand by our close ally as it defends itself against these terrorists,” AIPAC notes. “Israel has the ability and the right to abandon its measured, targeted approach and use full force to completely annihilate Hamas.”

His primary challenger, again, is Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer with 4.18 million followers on YouTube. He has been criticized for videos in which he fired Nazi-made weapons, referred to a gun as being the “original ghetto blaster” and said “for the Fatherland” while firing a weapon.

Brendan Steinhauser, a Republican strategist in Texas, told JNS that “we should have a zero-tolerance policy in the party about antisemitism or promoting or even frankly mentioning things like that.”

“Unfortunately, antisemitism is having a moment right now on the right and the left,” said Steinhauser, who thinks that supporters of Holocaust deniers and antisemites Nick Fuentes and Candace Owen on the right are “overplaying their hand.”

“The data is clear. The vast majority of Republicans support Israel and oppose antisemitism, so the very online community is not necessarily in line with where the voters are who actually vote in primaries and vote in general elections,” he told JNS.


Over 2,200 ISIS detainees moved from Syria to Iraq in ongoing US operation
Iraq has so far received 2,225 Islamic State group detainees, whom the US military began transferring from Syria last month, an Iraqi official told AFP on Saturday.

They are among up to 7,000 ISIS detainees whose transfer from Syria to Iraq the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced last month, in a move it said was aimed at “ensuring that the terrorists remain in secure detention facilities.”

Previously, they had been held in prisons and camps administered by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria.

The announcement of the transfer plan in January came after US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack declared that the SDF’s role in confronting ISIS had come to an end.

Saad Maan, head of the security information cell attached to the Iraqi prime minister’s office, told AFP on Saturday that “Iraq has received 2,225 terrorists from the Syrian side by land and air, in coordination with the international coalition,” which Washington has led since 2014 to fight ISIS.

He said they are being held in “strict, regular detention centers.”

A Kurdish military source confirmed to AFP the “continued transfer of ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq under the protection of the international coalition.”

On Saturday, an AFP photographer near the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria saw a US military convoy and 11 buses with tinted windows.

ISIS seized swaths of northern and western Iraq starting in 2014, until Iraqi forces, backed by the international coalition, managed to defeat it in 2017.


‘You (expletive) Jew:’ Antisemite targets Montreal restaurant
A restaurant in Montreal, Canada, was defaced on Wednesday with a blue marker bearing an antisemitic message.

“You (expletive) Jew,” the writing read on the outside glass of the restaurant, along with a blue Star of David.

The owner, Ilene Polansky, told outlet CityNews Montreal that she spotted the smear from outside, “looked at it and [was] horrified of what was written. And the first instinct was a shock.

“It’s the first time since I’ve been here that something in that nature, an antisemitic writing has happened,” she said.

Polansky owns Maestro SVP, a seafood restaurant at Saint Laurent Boulevard and Prince Arthur Street. She has been running it for 34 years and is planning to retire in March.

“It’s not obvious at all that I’m Jewish except for my mezuzah on the front door, but you’d have to come in and know that, have a conversation with me to know where I’m from and by background,” Polansky was quoted as saying.

“I really want to know who this person is to have a sit-down talk with him and why they wrote that,” she told CityNews.

“Why that writing, why those words, that’s what I hope that I could sit down with that person and have a chat.”
Anti-Israel sentiment in Finland is like a virus, says Jewish leader
Anti-Israel sentiment is like a virus, Chaya Votkin, president of the Jewish Community of Helsinki, told JNS at the Yael Foundation’s fourth annual summit on Jewish education in Vienna on Tuesday.

The three-day summit, which opened on Monday night, focused on innovation, leadership, Jewish identity and the challenges of modern education. It also featured the Yael Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, a flagship event honoring leading schools—selected by parents—for excellence in education.

In the past year, the Yael Foundation awarded a total of €40 million ($47 million) in grants to 130 Jewish schools, educators and educational ecosystems. The organization currently provides financial support to 64 day schools, 20 Sunday schools, 18 kindergartens and 11 after-school educational programs.

Votkin described a sharp rise in antisemitism in Finland following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, manifested through online hate, anti-Israel demonstrations, boycotts of Israeli products in supermarkets, the exclusion of Israeli speakers from universities and efforts to halt arms deals with Israel.

“I see a lot of it—anti-Israel actions, boycotts, BDS. It’s like a virus,” she said.

Helsinki’s synagogue was forced to increase security and remain on high alert, she said.

“Every day following Oct. 7, we had a demonstrator near the synagogue standing there and yelling ‘genocide’ and ‘child murderers,’” she added.

Because freedom of speech is strongly protected in Finland, Votkin said authorities were able to move the protester several meters away but did not arrest him.
Pennsylvania borough, accused of zoning bias against Orthodox Jews, settles with  federal gov
The borough of Kingston, Pa., has agreed to change its zoning rules to allow a growing community of Orthodox Jews to build synagogues and other religious institutions.

The agreement, still subject to court approval, ends a lawsuit that the U.S. Justice Department brought against the Northeastern Pennsylvania borough, charging that Kingston’s 2023 zoning ordinance violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

That law prevents communities from subjecting religious institutions to more onerous requirements than similar non-religious facilities where groups of people gather, such as theaters, bowling alleys and libraries.

The Justice Department said the land-use requirements made it almost impossible to build new synagogues and other religious institutions, such as religious schools and mikvehs, to serve the growing Orthodox population.

“These restrictions unreasonably limit religious land uses to only a tiny fraction of existing parcels in the entire borough such that, in practice, there are essentially no available qualifying parcels on which to develop a new place of worship,” the department stated. (JNS sought comment from Kingston officials.)

Borough officials agreed to revise the ordinance to allow religious institutions to open in commercial districts or receive special-use permits for residential areas, and to subject them to the same rules as nonreligious gathering places regarding such items as parking and landscaping.

“Time and time again, local governments enact zoning laws that treat places of worship and religious schools worse than comparable secular places of assembly, and unreasonably limit where religious land uses can locate,” stated Harmeet Dhillon, assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights. “Too often, the Jewish community bears the brunt of those restrictions.”
Police urged to investigate London scouts over ‘grossly antisemitic’ video
Police are being urged to investigate a British scout group over fears of extremism radicalising children after some of its members appeared in a “sickening” antisemitic video, the JC can reveal.

The troop – which is not part of The Scout Association – is based at a community centre run by a charity in West London.

The boys are seen in a video on Facebook on which the soundtrack features the repeated chant: “We cut the heads of the Jews from the right hand of Haider,” in an audio recording which is not sung by the scouts.

The footage was posted on the page of the Al-Amal Lebanese Community, which has been posting images of gatherings of the group known as the Islamic Message Scout Association for at least a decade.

Following the JC’s enquiries, Al-Amal Lebanese Community said the audio was a line of poetry about the Battle of Khaybar, a 7th-century confrontation between early Muslims and Jews. Muslim leader Ali ibn Abi Talib was said to have killed Jewish warrior Marhab ibn al-Harith with a strike to the head during the clash. In the context of Lebanon at war with Israel, the Al-Amal Lebanese Community suggested this line of poetry was about striking Israel and not Jews in general.

The community group also said the audio had been posted in error.

The emergence of the video has renewed concerns about extremist Shia organisations running UK youth groups.

An investigation by the JC has revealed links between the mosque where the scouts meet and Iran-aligned individuals.

The government’s former independent adviser on political violence and disruption, Lord Walney said: "Even in the current environment where Jew hatred is increasingly worn as a badge of pride, it is breathtaking to see an organisation openly broadcasting this song.

"This looks like comic Borat-style satire of gross antisemitism but sadly it appears to be reality in twenty-first century Britain.

"These deeply alarming and serious allegations underline the need for major investigation of Iranian exploitation of the UK charity sector and the major failings in the government's system of oversight that has allowed this problem to fester.”

The video, posted in July 2024 was filmed at the Al-Khoei Foundation, a charitable Islamic centre.
Israeli bobsled team robbed of ‘thousands of dollars of stuff, passports’
While training abroad for the Olympics, the Israeli bobsled team’s apartment was robbed, the team’s driver Adam (“A.J.”) Edelman said.

“Thousands of dollars of stuff and passports were stolen,” he stated. “What a season.”

Edelman added that the team, which is slated to compete in Italy, “is just such a fine example of how we push forward in difficult circumstances.”

“Such a gross violation—suitcases, shoes, equipment, passports stolen, and the boys headed right back to training today,” he wrote. “I really believe this team exemplifies the Israeli spirit.”




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