Saturday, February 21, 2026

02/21 Links: Emerging Sunni coalition is a strategic threat to Israel; Huckabee calmly, brilliantly confronts Carlson’s barrage of anti-Israel, anti-Christian lies; Jeremy Bowen’s bias is visible from space

From Ian:

Far Left protest planned against Buchenwald Memorial on Liberation Day
A planned far-left protest against the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial on the anniversary of its liberation has sparked outrage across Germany, with officials denouncing the move as an affront to the memory of Holocaust victims.

According to a report in the German Bild, citing Switzerland's Neue Zürcher Zeitung, radical organizations are calling for demonstrations on April 11, the day the camp was liberated in 1945. The groups accuse the memorial's management of "spreading Israeli propaganda" and of not being "hostile enough toward Israel."

The protest is being organized under the slogan "Keffiyehs in Buchenwald." Among those involved are the student wing of Germany's Left Party (Die Linke), the anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East and the German Communist Party (DKP).

In statements published by the organizers, the Buchenwald memorial site is accused of promoting "historical revisionism and genocide denial" and of serving as a vehicle for advancing an alleged "Israeli narrative."

The controversy follows an incident last year in which a woman seeking to stage a protest at the site while wearing a keffiyeh, a scarf widely associated with Palestinian nationalism, was denied entry. A German court later upheld the decision. The protest organizers claim the memorial's management is effectively criminalizing pro-Palestinian activists.

According to the report, one of the leading activists behind the campaign belongs to a communist organization that previously expressed public support for the October 7 massacre carried out by Hamas. In a statement issued after the attack, the group described it as a "legitimate uprising by all means necessary."

The remarks triggered widespread public anger in Germany, particularly given Buchenwald's central place in the country's culture of remembrance. Tens of thousands of Jews were murdered at the camp during the Holocaust, making it one of the most significant symbols of Nazi atrocities.

Felix Klein, the German government's commissioner for combating antisemitism, sharply condemned the initiative, calling it "a new low in the reversal of roles between victim and perpetrator." He described the planned demonstration as "a frontal assault on the dignity of commemoration and on the memory of the victims of the Holocaust."
Daniel Finkelstein: Britain is still our country as well – and we will not be driven out
I understand those people who wish to make aliyah. I respect that decision and understand the emotional pull. But as a move to enhance family safety? I don’t think so.

Until the last five years I might have answered “America” if considering a safe refuge for Jews. But now? I note only that the worst antisemitic abuse I receive originates in that country. And that every extreme trend is worse and more violent there. It seems like a society constantly on the edge.

And nowhere else in Europe is it tempting, either. Or the Middle East. Or Africa for that matter. Jews are a small minority in almost every country we live in and that is inevitably perilous. But I don’t think we are finished here unless someone has a better idea, and I don’t think someone does have a better idea.

But I do have a more positive reason for believing in the future for Jews in Britain. It has become harder for Jews everywhere, we all feel less safe, but a sense of proportion is required. This remains one of the greatest times to be alive as a Jew, and Britain is one of the greatest places.

When I read the story of both sets of my grandparents before they were engulfed by the disasters of the 1930s and 1940s, I could see the warning signs. Absolutely I could. The growth of open antisemitism, the slow rise of violence, the breakdown of taboos. All the things we worry about now did indeed precede the catastrophe.

Yet the difference in extent is as striking as the similarly in nature. The extent of violence and hatred was of an entirely different scale. And Germany, in particular, was a much more unstable country. British democracy and rule of law certainly has its challenges but remains, by comparison, vastly stronger.

When I wrote recently in The Times about my experience of antisemitic abuse I was flooded with kind messages from readers. We certainly have enemies but we also have many allies. There are millions of decent people in Britain who realise that their own safety and liberty is bound up in ours.

Besides, over hundreds of years we have built our own culture and community in this country. It’s not something to give up lightly. I don’t think complacency is warranted. Sadly, it is not warranted at all. But a little defiance is. This is certainly still the place for me.
Jeremy Bowen’s bias is visible from space
It will be of little surprise that Bowen has consistently misrepresented, downplayed or even tried to excuse, Hamas’s use of Palestinian civilians as human shields. Against Israel, Hamas has little choice but ‘to leverage the things that they can leverage in terms of trying to get an edge’, Bowen said in a 2023 podcast episode. In 2014, he claimed to have seen ‘no evidence during my week in Gaza of Israel’s accusation that Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields’. This is despite extensively documented evidence to the contrary, showing that Hamas launches rockets from civilian areas and commandeers civilian infrastructure for military ends, including hospitals and schools.

In fact, you can find examples of Bowen’s bias as far back as 2009, when the BBC Trust found him in breach of impartiality guidelines for a 2007 BBC News article on the 40th anniversary of the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War.

According to monitoring by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA), Bowen has spent decades perfecting a narrative of Israeli aggression while airbrushing the extent of the threats Israel faces. He has repeatedly platformed voices that dehumanise Israelis while failing to challenge the anti-Semitic ideology that drives Hamas. That isn’t journalism: it’s a curated perspective that treats Jewish security concerns with a shrug of indifference.

The BBC is the most popular news source in the UK, reaching a staggering 94 per cent of adults. When its most senior editors trade in skewed narratives, they shape political discourse, social attitudes and the temperature of national debate. And the price of this is borne by British Jews.

Since 7 October 2023, the UK has endured record levels of anti-Semitic incidents. This has included a lethal terror attack and several foiled terror plots. When coverage of serious conflicts consistently falls short, it exacerbates real-world harms for a minority community already under pressure. The BBC’s tendency to amplify unverified Hamas claims – such as wrongly blaming the infamous al-Ahli hospital blast on Israel without evidence, or quoting Hamas casualty figures without qualification – has fuelled hostility towards Jewish communities.

Perhaps most breathtaking is the arrogance with which Bowen continues to showcase his bias with total impunity. The BBC’s internal accountability mechanisms are essentially a closed loop. The broadcaster is, quite literally, marking its own homework. Apologies and corrections are only issued long after the damage has been done and without significant consequences for repeated breaches.

This brings us to the government’s BBC Charter Review, which is exploring the BBC’s governance, public obligations and funding before a new 10-year charter is granted. The way the BBC works now, where senior figures like Bowen are immune to external scrutiny, is a betrayal of public trust. We need a fundamental reset of the BBC’s culture, including tying the renewal of the charter to demonstrable improvements in impartiality and accuracy.

We ought to remember that the BBC belongs to the public – not to the egos of its editors and correspondents.


Emerging Sunni coalition is a strategic threat to Israel
In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has entered into an unprecedented and public dispute with the United Arab Emirates over developments in southern Yemen.

Abu Dhabi was the pioneer of normalization with Israel, yet the move has become less popular across the Arab world.

Saudi distancing from Israel has, to some extent, left the UAE relatively isolated, while positioning Riyadh as the primary address in the Sunni sphere.

Amid an unresolved war in Gaza, stagnation on the Palestinian political track, and Israeli policies in the West Bank, Israel’s integration into a broad regional framework has become increasingly complicated.

The UAE, Israel’s most visible Arab partner, senses a degree of isolation within the Arab world.

The Middle East is entering a phase of strategic reconfiguration. Iran remains a central actor, but it is no longer the sole force defining the rules of the regional game. In its place, a new Sunni coalition is consolidating, aspiring to shape a revised regional order.

Senior security officials warn that if Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey were to operate in concert, Israel would be compelled to reassess both its military doctrine and its freedom of action.

Any Israeli move could acquire a different strategic meaning if confronted by three coordinated Sunni powers. Even if the alliance is not formally directed against Israel, its very existence constrains the diplomatic and military latitude to which Israel has grown accustomed.

Pakistan’s role is particularly significant. As a nuclear-armed state that has provided formal security assurances to Saudi Arabia, Islamabad alters the regional balance of dependence.

Instead of drawing closer to Israel to build a joint defensive framework against Iran, Riyadh can rely on an internal Sunni power structure within its own strategic orbit.

This reduces Saudi incentives to advance normalization with Israel and may complicate diplomatic processes that had begun to take shape over the past year.

These developments also place Israel on a trajectory of growing rivalry with Turkey, which is poised to become a leading force in the emerging regional architecture.

Ankara, which leads the Muslim Brotherhood axis, could leverage this alliance to deepen its influence across the Sunni world and within the Palestinian arena, thereby narrowing Israel’s room for maneuver with the Gulf states and widening the strategic gap between Jerusalem and Ankara.
FDD: Stabilization force and funding pledged for Gaza at Board of Peace meeting
Five countries have agreed to commit troops to the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, US Army Major General Jasper Jeffers said on February 19 at a meeting of the US-backed Board of Peace in Washington, DC. Representatives from 40 countries attended the gathering and, along with the US, pledged around $17 billion to the initiative. The meeting took place as clashes between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and militants continued in Gaza, despite a ceasefire in the territory.

The Board of Peace is one of the key components of the US- and UN-backed ceasefire in Gaza, which began in October 2025. In January, the White House announced that it was moving to a second phase of the ceasefire and was establishing various institutions linked to the Board of Peace. “The Board of Peace will play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the President’s plan, providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development,” the White House said on January 16. The Board was ratified in Davos on January 22, where some of the first members gathered for a meeting.

The meeting in Washington on February 19 provided countries the chance to announce their pledges of financial support for the US plan and commit personnel to the endeavor. Major General Jasper Jeffers, who was tapped in January to lead the ISF in Gaza, announced that five countries—Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania—have committed to sending troops. Reports indicate that Indonesia could contribute up to 8,000 personnel who could be deployed by June. Indonesia may also take on the deputy commander role of the ISF under Jeffers, The Jakarta Post reported on February 20. Up to 20,000 ISF troops and 12,000 local police are expected to be needed for Gaza.

The Egyptian media outlet Ahram Online noted on February 19 that Egypt and Jordan have already begun training police for Gaza. “Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative of the Board of Peace (BoP) for Gaza, announced Thursday the launch of recruitment for a transitional Palestinian police force, reporting that 2,000 applicants had registered within hours. The force is expected to be trained in Egypt with broad support,” the report noted. The goal is to concentrate weapons under one authority in Gaza, a process that is expected to take place alongside disarming Hamas. A Palestinian-run National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) has also been established to enable civilian-led control of Gaza. Its head, Ali Shaath, attended the Board of Peace meeting and said that his organization hopes to restore security and services to Gaza.

On top of the troop and police commitments, several countries have also pledged financial contributions to the Board of Peace. The pledges of approximately $7 billion have come from the UAE, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait. The UAE has pledged $1.2 billion to the effort, Saudi Arabia has pledged $1 billion, and the US is contributing $10 billion.

As the plan for Gaza takes shape in Washington, there are still frequent clashes in Gaza between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and gunmen. The IDF noted on February 13 that “IDF troops operating in the northern Gaza Strip identified 2 terrorists who entered a structure east of the Yellow Line.” The IDF then carried out a strike on the site. The Yellow Line is the area the IDF controls in Gaza, which includes around half the territory of the enclave.
Bennett: 70% of Palestinians in Gaza, PA want to murder all Israelis
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations’ 51st Annual Leadership Mission in Jerusalem on Tuesday, spoke of the strategic lessons of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the necessity of preventing Iran from going nuclear, and the emerging danger from Turkey and Qatar.

Bennett asserted that seven out of 10 Palestinian Arabs in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority want to murder all Israelis. He based that figure on the latest opinion polls in those areas, which showed 70% of the public support the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. He noted that in the only democratic elections which took place in the P.A., in 2006, Hamas won 76 out of 132 parliamentary seats.

Bennett also cited anecdotal evidence. On Oct. 7, the first two waves of the attack were led by Hamas commandos, but the third wave consisted of “random people” who entered Israel and murdered Israelis. “There’s not one recorded event of a righteous Gentile in Gaza,” Bennett said. Naftali Bennett receives a giftFormer Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett receives a gift during the Conference of Presidents gathering in Jerusalem, Feb. 17, 2026. Photo by Matt Kaminsky/JNS.

Of the Iranian threat, Bennett said that the Islamic Republic had been severely damaged by the joint Israeli-American airstrikes in June of last year, but “the ballistic threat remains, and the evil regime remains.”

Comparing the regime to the former Soviet Union—”rotten, old, disconnected, incompetent”—Bennett said the ayatollahs will eventually fall and Israel’s strategy should be to do whatever it can to accelerate that collapse. In the meantime, it must prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Bennett warned of a new threat emerging from Anatolia. “Turkey is the new Iran,” he said. Together with Qatar, it is feeding the “Islamic Brotherhood monster,” which “eventually might become as dangerous as the one created by Iran.”
Hamas covertly targeted Canadian-funded NGOs and charities in Gaza
The terror group Hamas has covertly targeted scores of Canadian-funded non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charities operating in Gaza – to infiltrate the organizations, steal aid, and attempt to control their operations, according to a respected watchdog organization.

The shocking allegations are contained in confidential Hamas documents from 2018-2022 period, and seized by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza, according to NGO Monitor.

The documents were translated from the original Arabic and reveal Hamas’ campaign to manipulate and coerce humanitarian organizations – often without their direct knowledge, says the research group.

In its voluminous report on the Hamas-Canadian connection, NGO Monitor said: “(The Hamas documents) describe the Stasi-like tactics employed by Hamas to manipulate and coerce humanitarian structures, including NGO operations. The documents originated with the Gaza Interior Security Mechanism (ISM) – a unit within the Hamas Ministry of Interior and National Security (MoINS) responsible for surveillance, counter-espionage, political dissent, civil defense, border crossings, enforcement of Islamic law, and handling of prisoners in Gaza.”

The NGOs and charities collectively received millions in funding from Canadians or the federal government, says NGO Monitor, which the office of Mark Carney did not confirm or deny. Page from a purported secret December 2022 Hamas memo – seized by Israel Defense Forces during the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza – describing their ‘guarantor’ operation in Gaza (translated from Arabic to English).


IAF strikes Hezbollah, Hamas terror assets in Lebanon
The Israeli Air Force carried out strikes in eastern Baalbek in Lebanon on Friday, killing several terrorists from Hezbollah’s missile unit at three separate command centers.

The targeted terrorists were recently identified as working to accelerate the group’s operational readiness and weapons buildup while planning rocket fire and other attacks against Israel, including operations that posed a threat to Israeli troops, the IDF said.

The operatives’ activities violated ceasefire understandings with Lebanon, the military said, stressing that Israeli forces remain committed to the truce.

The IDF added that Hezbollah routinely embeds its terrorist assets within populated areas in violation of the ceasefire, “cynically exploiting the civilian population as human shields to advance terror attacks.”

“The IDF will continue to operate against any entrenchment and arming attempts conducted by Hezbollah, and will act decisively to remove any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel,” the statement added.


Australia: Man rams vehicle into Brisbane synagogue
Police have charged a man for ramming his vehicle into the front gates of a synagogue in Brisbane, Australia, on Friday evening.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli tweeted on Saturday that “This will be very distressful for the Jewish community in Queensland. I have spoken to Jewish leaders, as well as police, and I want to assure Queenslanders we are taking this seriously.”

Crisafulli continued, “This is another signal as to why we have put strong laws before Parliament to protect all people where they worship. … Police will update Queenslanders with further details today.”

Footage of a Toyota Hilux pickup truck apparently driving into the synagogue’s gates was posted on social media.

Officers said that the vehicle knocked down the gates to the property on Margaret Street in Brisbane City a little after 7 p.m., according to Australia’s SBS News.

The driver fled the scene but was detained shortly thereafter.

The suspect, 32, from Sunnybank, was expected to face Brisbane Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, the report continued.

He is facing charges of willful damage, serious vilification or hate crime.

“This attack is not only an attack on my community, it is an attack on all of us,” said Libby Burke, vice president of the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies.




'They finished him off': father recounts hospital killing of teen protester | Eye for Iran | EP 91
Seventeen-year-old Sam Afshari was wounded during Iran’s January protests and taken to a hospital in Karaj, where doctors were trying to save his life. According to his father, Parviz Afshari, security forces entered the room while a breathing tube was still in his mouth — and fired a final, fatal shot.

On this episode of Eye for Iran, we speak with Sam’s father, who is now calling for justice — and for the end of the Islamic Republic — after his son was killed following detention during the nationwide crackdown that left tens of thousands dead.

Then, as Iranian officials prepare to appear before United Nations human rights bodies in Geneva, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer calls for a diplomatic walkout and accountability for the regime’s actions.

And as a reported end-of-February nuclear deadline approaches, threats escalate from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and military deployments intensify — including the arrival of the USS Ford carrier strike group. Is diplomacy running out of time? Is war now imminent?

Featuring analysis from Dr. Casey Babb, Director at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute; Peter Roff, Contributing Editor at Newsweek; and Adelle Nazarian, Senior Fellow at the Gold Institute for International Strategy.

Contents for this video:
00:00 Opening — Iran’s January massacre
01:12 The story of Sam Afshari, 17
03:05 Shot during Karaj protests
05:10 Taken to hospital alive
07:02 “He had a breathing tube in his mouth…”
09:35 Father describes the final moments
12:20 Burial crisis — graves stacked one above another
15:10 Rage, grief, and call for justice
18:05 Demand for international action
20:40 Interview transition
21:05 Hillel Neuer on UN response after the massacre
27:30 Why inviting Iranian officials sparked outrage
33:10 Panel discussion begins
33:40 Dr. Casey Babb on Western policy toward Iran
41:15 Peter Roff on diplomacy vs deterrence
48:30 What comes next for Iran and the region
55:20 Final thoughts — will the world act?
57:10 Closing remarks


I am tired of Tucker Carlson’s Israel show, when Mike Huckabee deserves focus
Everyone is talking about Tucker Carlson. I get it.

He’s a genius of the attention economy, a man who turned provocation into a career and the airport lounge into a geopolitical stage. Candace Owens runs the same playbook. They’re performers. And they’re increasingly beside the point.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee sat across from Carlson at Ben-Gurion Airport and did something nobody seems to want to talk about. He made an argument. A real one. Patient, specific, grounded, the kind you can actually follow from beginning to end.

But first, I have a confession to make: “Christian Zionism” entered my working vocabulary embarrassingly late.

For years, the phrase lived somewhere in the back of my mind as a sociological curiosity, somewhere between a footnote and a conference panel I’d skip. Then October 7 happened, and the footnotes started mattering.

American Christians care about Jewish survival
While Jewish intellectuals were busy being nuanced, millions of American Christians were busy actually caring about Jewish survival. Not abstractly. Practically. Showing up.

Huckabee is one of them. He’s also, it turns out, quite good at explaining why.

He defined Zionism simply: Jews have a right to a homeland where they can live with security and safety. He defined a Christian Zionist as someone who believes Israel has a right to exist. You might find that modest. I find it clarifying.

When the baseline has drifted so far that stating Israel’s right to exist reads as a controversial position, saying it plainly and without embarrassment is its own kind of act.
In heated podcast conversation, Huckabee pushes back against Carlson’s misrepresentations of Israel
In a combative conversation with Tucker Carlson, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee repeatedly corrected and pushed back against the far-right podcaster’s caricatures of Israel, the country’s war against Hamas, the historic connection of Jews to Israel and threat that Iran poses to global security.

The nearly three-hour episode, taped at the Fattal Terminal at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport earlier this week, was one of the most public clashes between a prominent Christian Zionist and stalwart supporter of Israel and Carlson, who has emerged as a leader of a small but growing antisemitic faction on the far right.

Since being fired from Fox News in 2023, Carlson has used his online platform as a friendly venue for Holocaust revisionists and antisemitic social media influencers. Among the few times he has used his show to aggressively question guests, those he has invited on have been conservatives who support Israel, such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) last summer.

Carlson opened the episode with Huckabee, which was released on Friday, with a lengthy monologue defending his refusal to leave the airport grounds and baselessly alleging aggressive treatment by Israeli officials, including passport holds and questioning of his producers — claims that Huckabee and Israeli authorities have described as routine security procedures rather than detention.

The two men sparred throughout the hourslong interview, with tensions rising when Carlson challenged Huckabee’s references to biblical ties of Jews to the land of Israel and pressed him on the scope of land promised in Genesis 15:18 — from the Nile to the Euphrates.

Carlson asked if this meant Israel could claim “basically the entire Middle East.” Huckabee replied that “it would be fine if they took it all,” but quickly clarified that Israel was not pursuing such expansive territorial goals.

Huckabee underscored that his position was far more modest: “I’m simply saying that the people who live in Israel… have a right to have security, have safety. They have a right to be able to live in this land that they have a connection to.”
Huckabee calmly, brilliantly confronts Tucker Carlson’s barrage of anti-Israel, anti-Christian lies during 2-hour interview
The contrast could not have been more stark.

For more than two hours on his podcast, Tucker Carlson was both hostile and flustered – contentious yet often illogical – as he tried to prosecute rather than interview U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee, on the other hand, could not have been more impressive – relaxed, well-prepared, factual, logical, and astonishingly unflappable.

Tucker threw lie after vicious lie at Israel, at the Jewish people, at the Trump administration, at Christians, and at Huckabee himself.

Yet Huckabee gave a brilliant masterclass in public diplomacy and Christian kindness.

He calmly, clearly, and convincingly confronted – and debunked – each of Tucker’s provably false assertions.

It’s no wonder that Huckabee is receiving a torrent of high praise all across social media this weekend.

I’m not going to try to catalog all of Tucker’s lies here.

That would take way too long.

Let me simply highlight three to help you understand who Tucker is and how hateful and dishonest he has sadly become.


Tucker Carlson's lie about Herzog visiting Epstein's island is a direct attack on Israel
The claim made by Tucker Carlson alleging that President Isaac Herzog visited Jeffrey Epstein’s island is an outright lie.

The journalist who circulated the allegation later acknowledged that she had not verified the information and admitted that she had fallen victim to AI-generated disinformation. The story was fabricated and spread without proper verification or accountability.

Falsely accusing the President of the State of Israel is not merely a personal attack. It is part of a broader and deeply troubling pattern of obsessive misinformation directed against the State of Israel itself.

This is not legitimate criticism. It is the deliberate spreading of falsehoods, repeated until millions are persuaded to accept fiction as fact. What we are witnessing is a modern ideological war, a war of narratives and media manipulation.

President Shimon Peres of blessed memory, who served as the International Chairman of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center, warned before the turn of the century that the wars of the 21st century would not only be military.


Tucker Carlson claims Israel targeted his family, Netanyahu ‘believes in blood guilt’
In a program released Friday following his brief visit to Israel, right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson claimed the Israeli government targeted his family, called the Jewish state “probably the most violent country on earth” and falsely said President Isaac Herzog had visited Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous island, apparently citing a fake AI-generated image that had circulated online.

He also called Israel a police state, questioned its right to exist and the historic ties of the Jewish population to the land, accused the country of controlling US policy, and made various other unsupported claims associated with antisemitic tropes.

Carlson, a leading critic of Israel on the right, came to Israel on Wednesday to interview US Ambassador Mike Huckabee. According to some reports, he never left the airport area and departed immediately afterward. The Friday program included his interview with Huckabee as well as solo segments in which he railed against Israel.

Speaking alone, Carlson said: “There was a threat to my family. The Israeli government, and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu himself, tried to punish two members of my family. I won’t be more specific, but actually punish two members of my family because he, as he has said in public many times, believes in blood guilt, Amalek. You know, when someone commits a crime against you, you punish not just him, but his family, his bloodline.”

Carlson did not give any more details or offer evidence to substantiate his claim. Netanyahu has never stated that he believes in “blood guilt” or in collective punishment of Israel’s enemies. His mention of the biblical Amalekites in the wake of the October 7 attack was a reference to genocidal threats to the people of Israel throughout history.


Arab and Muslim states fume after Huckabee says Israel has biblical right to much of Mideast
Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday sharply condemned comments by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who said in a recent interview that “it would be fine” if Israel took over a large swath of the Middle East.

Huckabee made the comments during his contentious interview with right-wing American commentator Tucker Carlson which aired Friday, after Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include large parts of the Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land.

Huckabee responded: “It would be fine if they took it all.” However, he said that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds.

His comments sparked immediate backlash from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States, which in separate statements called them extremist, provocative, and not in line with the US position.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry described Huckabee’s comments as “extremist rhetoric” and “unacceptable,” and called for the State Department to clarify its position on them.

Egypt’s foreign ministry called his comments a “blatant violation” of international law, adding that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.”

The Palestinian Authority said on X that Huckabee’s words “contradict US President Donald Trump’s rejection of [Israel] annexing the West Bank.”


Berlin Film Festival closes after being beset by ‘stormy seas’ of Gaza war
The 76th Berlin Film Festival drew to a close Saturday night, after 10 days of what its director called “stormy seas” unleashed by a controversy over the war in Gaza, which often overshadowed discussion of the 22 films in competition.

The row erupted at the beginning of the festival when jury president Wim Wenders answered a question about the German government’s support for Israel by saying: “We cannot really enter the field of politics.”

At the same press conference, he had said that films had the power to “change the world” but in a different way from politics. But his comments in response to the question on Israel prompted a storm of outrage.

Award-winning Indian novelist Arundhati Roy, who had been due to present a restored version of a 1989 film she wrote, pulled out of the event, branding Wenders’ words “unconscionable” and “jaw-dropping.”

On Tuesday, an open letter signed by dozens of film industry figures, including actors Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton and director Adam McKay, condemned the Berlin festival’s “silence” on the “genocide of Palestinians,” and accused it of being involved in “censoring” artists who oppose Israel’s actions.

Israel bitterly denies allegations of genocide. It has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.

Director Tricia Tuttle, in her second year at the helm of the Berlinale, has firmly rejected the accusations, describing some of the claims in the letter as “misinformation” and “inaccurate.”

Speaking on Saturday at the awards ceremony for prizes from the festival’s Independent Juries, Tuttle described the past 10 days as “stormy seas.”


UK Jewish leaders condemn vandalism of London bakery accused of ‘funding Israel’
A newly opened chain of a popular London bakery was vandalized on Wednesday following a pro-Palestinian protest that accused the company of “funding Israel.”

Gail’s Bakery, which operates roughly 170 locations throughout the United Kingdom, opened a new branch in north London, where it was met by a small group of protesters holding a large sign reading “Boycott Israel For Genocide And War Crimes in Gaza.” Another sign claimed the bakery was “funded by investors in apartheid,” according to a video of the protest posted online.

In the video posted on X, a Jewish bystander confronted the protest presence, asking, “Why are you protesting a UK-based business saying ‘Boycott Israel’? Is it because they’ve got Jewish directors?”

In response, a protester responded that the bakery’s profits were “going to private equity owners and investors” who had invested in Israeli “war tech.”

Following the protest, red paint was splattered on the bakery’s signage and facade along with the words “Boycott Gail’s, funds Israeli tech.”

London’s Metropolitan Police said that no arrests had been made in connection with the vandalism and that police were “continuing to review other footage to identify any lines of enquiry that might help to identify the suspects.”


Trump weighing initial limited strikes on Iran to force a deal
U.S. President Donald Trump is mulling limited airstrikes on Iranian military and government sites designed to force Tehran to bend its hardline negotiating stance while averting a full-scale offensive that could spark a regional war, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Were Iran to still reject Washington’s demands on its nuclear project, the U.S. military would escalate its campaign, potentially aiming at regime change, the report said.

Such a limited assault could begin within days, the Journal cited sources with knowledge on the matter as saying.

“The people of Iran are very different than the leaders of Iran,” Trump told reporters during a news briefing in the White House.

He went on to assert that the Islamic Republic killed 32,000 people “over a relatively short period of time,” referring to the regime’s crackdown on nationwide protests that erupted in the country in late December.

“It is a very, very sad situation …, they were going to hang … some by crane. They lift them up with a tall crane, and they play them around the square. They were going to hang 837 people. … I feel very badly for the people of Iran, they’ve lived in hell,” the president said.
Report: IRGC running Hezbollah, preparing it for war with Israel if US strikes Iran
Officers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have effectively taken charge of Hezbollah in anticipation of a war with the US and Israel, Saudi outlet Al-Arabiya reported Saturday, as Lebanese officials were said to assail the possibility of their country getting dragged into battle.

The IRGC officers, some of whom recently arrived in Lebanon from Iran, are tasked with rebuilding Hezbollah’s military capabilities, which were significantly degraded in the 14-month fighting with Israel that ended with a November 2024 truce, Al-Arabiya said, citing sources close to Hezbollah.

The Iranian officers have also been personally briefing Hezbollah operatives across Lebanon, said the unnamed sources cited by Al-Arabiya. They added that IRGC officers were meeting with members of Hezbollah’s missile unit at a site in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley that was bombed by Israel overnight, amid a wave of airstrikes that wounded at least 50 people and killed 12, including a senior Hezbollah officer. The IDF said the strikes targeted Hamas and Hezbollah command centers.

According to the Hezbollah-aligned sources, a wider Israeli military offensive against Lebanon is only a matter of time.

The report came as US President Donald Trump has amassed military forces in the region and repeatedly threatened to use them against Iran, first over the Islamic Republic’s brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters last month and more recently over its nuclear program.

Israel is readying to fight alongside the US and expects to be targeted by Iran if the US strikes there, according to Hebrew media.

The Kan public broadcaster reported Saturday evening that Israel has identified preparations by Hezbollah — particularly by its rocket forces — to strike if Iran is attacked, with the Lebanese terror group expected to target Israel together with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Haaretz reported, quoting unnamed Israeli military sources, that recent Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah were intended to degrade its capabilities amid the possibility of conflict. At least 10 people were reported killed and 50 wounded in Israeli strikes in eastern Lebanon on Friday, after the Israel Defense Forces said it had targeted Hezbollah command centers.
Houthi mobilize troops in Yemen with unclear target, as possible strike on Iran looms in - report
The Houthis may be mobilizing forces for an offensive, a report at Al-Ain media in the UAE said on February 21. The Houthis' objectives are unclear. However, the report of mobilization is important because it comes amid heightened tensions with Iran.

It also comes after the UAE and Saudi Arabia almost clashed over differing policies in Yemen. The Saudis have supported the government of Yemen, while the UAE has supported a group in southern Yemen called the Southern Transitional Council.

What does the Al-Ain report say? According to the report, the Houthis have mobilized on various fronts within Yemen. It may be an attempt to “ignite a new round of war.” What sources told Al-Ain is that “the Houthi militias have sent military reinforcements to Marib Governorate, where oil fields are located, and to the Hodeidah fronts on the Red Sea, in addition to reinforcements to the northern border fronts.”

Move against Saudi-backed forces?
This could indicate a Houthi move against the Riyadh-backed government forces in Yemen. It could also be part of a Houthi plan to take advantage of Saudi-UAE tensions or to pounce as US-Iran tensions grow. It’s also possible that Al-Ain is being fed misinformation designed to create tensions. Because there are so many possibilities, it is worth being skeptical about the reports.

The report goes on to say that the “sources explained that large Houthi military groups moved on Saturday from the city of Amran, located 50 kilometers north of Sana'a, led by the Houthi leader Mohammed Zaid Yahya Al-Makhdhi, nicknamed Abu Ali, to the northern border fronts of the country.”

In addition, “the sources indicated that the military force that the militias deployed to the Saada and Al-Jawf fronts on the northern borders of the country comes as part of the group’s military mobilization to all fronts,” while adding that the Houthis have also sent commanders to the Hodeidah governorate. This is an area near a port that shares the same name. This port was targeted numerous times by Israel last year when the Houthis were targeting Israel with ballistic missiles.

The report goes on to say that "the Houthis force had received intensive training at a Houthis ' training camp in Sana’a, before being deployed through Naqil Manakhah to Hodeidah. On February 18, the Houthi militias sent unprecedented reinforcements from Sana'a to the fronts of Marib Governorate, under the leadership of commander Khaled Mohammed Al-Nadhari, nicknamed Abu Ayman.”

Lastly, the report argues that Houthi fighters arrived at the Marib front. This area has been an active frontline in the past. Over the last three years, the clashes between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemen government have been reduced. This is part of a wider shift in the region in which Riyadh also settled some of its problems with Iran. Riyadh has also grown closer to Turkey and Qatar over the past year, as it has distanced itself from the UAE’s policies in the region. This mostly led to a reduction in tensions with the Houthis.
Iranian forces hack out wombs of female protesters to hide horrific sexual abuse: report
Iranian police officers are gang-raping imprisoned female protesters and then cutting out their uteruses to cover up the horrific torture – before shipping their lifeless bodies home to their families, according to a shocking new report.

Prisoners suspected of participating in the nationwide anti-regime demonstrations that shook the nation last month are being terrorized, raped, and slaughtered daily by groups of militant police officers behind bars, an Iranian source told News Nation.

“I am most worried about the people who got arrested,” the source, who witnessed the massacre of protesters, said.

“They are raping men and women in jail. They are being raped every day by [a] group of police. We are not people to [the regime]. People are getting raped in the jail every day,” they continued.

“They will hurt you. They will punch you. They will dig your nails out of your skin. They are biting them. The people who are arrested will not be fed. They are being killed by the government every day in jail.”

An Iranian refugee also told the outlet that they and others who were locked up were gang-raped at gunpoint by masked men and turned into “sexual slaves” who were mocked for their opposing beliefs.

Some female detainees were allegedly mutilated in an attempt to conceal the militants’ barbaric sexual abuse.

“Some of the women’s bodies that were returned to their families were missing their wombs so that the crimes could not be traced or investigated,” the refugee added.

“To be honest, most families did not pursue the matter further in order to avoid even more suffering.”

One haunting photo obtained by the outlet showed the body of a woman imprisoned in Bojnord, with “clear signs of torture and trauma” when returned to her family 25 days later, the refugee said.


Iran university students hold anti-regime rallies at campuses in Tehran, Mashhad
Iranian students chanted anti-government slogans at rallies for people killed in the regime’s bloody crackdown on protesters last month, local and diaspora media reported Saturday, as groups opposed to the clerical leadership faced off with its supporters and security forces.

Videos geolocated by AFP to Tehran’s top engineering university showed fights breaking out in a crowd as people shouted “bi sharaf,” or “disgraceful” in Farsi.

Footage posted by the Persian-language dissident TV channel Iran International, which is based outside the country, also showed a large crowd chanting anti-government slogans at Sharif University of Technology.

According to Iran International, protesters clashed with members of the regime’s Basij paramilitary force, chanting “death” to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and “long live the king,” referring to the monarchy toppled in Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Local news outlet Fars said that what was supposed to be a “silent and peaceful sit-in” of students killed last month was disrupted by people chanting anti-regime slogans. A video posted by Fars showed a group chanting and waving Iranian flags facing off with a crowd wearing masks and being held back by men in suits. Both groups were holding what appeared to be memorial photographs.

Iran International quoted Sharif University President Masoud Tajrishi calling for perpetrators of “illegal acts” to be “dealt with.”


Germany still in running to host 2036 Olympics despite centennial of Nazi-era Games
Germany will remain in the running for the 2036 Summer Olympics despite its president expressing concern about the 100th anniversary of the Nazi-era Berlin Games, the nation’s Olympic sports head Thomas Weikert said on Saturday.

The German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) is due to decide later this year on putting forward a candidate from Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and the Rhine-Ruhr region for the 2036, 2040, or 2044 Games. The first of the three dates could be contentious, however.

“The president views the year 2036 as historically problematic for a German bid,” a spokesperson for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Thursday.

But DOSB President Weikert told reporters at the German House at the Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo that all dates remained open.

“The IOC (International Olympic Committee) decides when the Games will come to Europe. It could be that they say that 2036 is for Asia or Africa,” he said.

“Therefore, my answer is that we have to be ready to organize the Games (whenever they decide). This concerns all three editions,” he said. “We want to show a positive Germany. This would also apply to 2036.”

The 1936 Berlin Games are mostly remembered for being turned into a Nazi propaganda tool by German leader Adolf Hitler.
Italy's RAI apologizes after latest gaffe targets Israeli bobsleigh team
Italy's state broadcaster RAI was forced to apologize to the Jewish community on Saturday after an off‑air remark advising its producers to "avoid" the Israeli crew was broadcast before coverage of the Four-Man bobsleigh event at the Winter Olympics.

The head of RAI's sports division had already resigned earlier in the week after his error-ridden commentary at the Milano Cortina 2026 opening ceremony two weeks ago triggered a revolt among its journalists.

On Saturday, viewers heard "Let's avoid crew number 21, which is the Israeli one," and then "no, because ..." before the sound was cut off.

"I firmly condemn the statements made today by a RAI journalist regarding the Israeli bobsleigh delegation at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics," said Jonathan Peled, Israel's ambassador, on social media.

"There should be no room in sport for incitement to hatred, discrimination based on national, cultural, or religious beliefs, and any offensive rhetoric.
Reddam House mother reported to police over ‘vicious antisemitic’ tirade
A mother at a prestigious private school in Sydney’s eastern suburbs was reported to police after allegedly launching a “vicious antisemitic” tirade against a fellow school parent whose daughter was caught in the middle of the Bondi massacre.

Reddam House mother Meghan Byrne, an artist, was reported to police last week after allegedly “politicising and mocking” the daughter of Sydney Jewish man Jeremy Levitt, just weeks after his young daughter was forced to flee the Hanukkah event at the centre of the Bondi massacre with blood on her jumper.

However, NSW Police detectives don’t believe the threshold for criminal action has been met.

Both adults are parents at Reddam House, an elite school in the heart of the eastern suburbs that is home to many members of Sydney’s Jewish community.

According to WhatsApp messages obtained by The Australian Ms Byrne allegedly sent a barrage of WhatsApp messages to Mr Levitt, escalating from erratic personal insults to allegedly mocking Jewish religious attire, asking if he had his “special hat on? The holy one?”.

According to correspondence seen by The Australian, a detective acting sergeant told Mr Levitt officers reviewed the evidence and the offences of “stalking and intimidation”, “using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend” and “publicly threatening or inciting violence on grounds of race or religion” but found there were “no offences to investigate as the proofs of each offence are not met”.

Mr Levitt now intends to apply for a private apprehended violence order through the courts, and has made a complaint to Anti-­Discrimination NSW.

She also called him a “google eyed (sic) geek”, and when reiterating that his daughter was present at the Bondi Hanukkah event on December 14, Ms Byrne allegedly replied: “That will make me laugh so much.”

The man told The Australian his wife picked up his daughter in the aftermath of the massacre after she had to hide in a cool room at Bondi RSL.
Turkish boxer attacks Israeli opponent before fight, Israeli wins in two rounds
Israeli Muay Thai (Thai boxing) fighter Ahavat Hashem Gordon beat his Turkish opponent on Saturday evening after the two had a tense face-off the day before.

On Friday after the weigh-in, Gordon, who wore an Israeli flag over his shoulders, faced Ali Konyuncu, and the two exchanged the customary threats before high-profile boxing matches.

During the heated exchange, Konyuncu lunged at Gordon's neck, and the two were both immediately restrained. Both tried to break free of the men holding them back, according to video of the event which circulated on social media. Despite the restraints, Konyuncu managed to kick Gordon in the midsection before the two were effectively separated.

The fight, held in Kaunas, Lithuania, on Saturday night, lasted only two rounds. The first round was inconclusive, with neither side able to gain a clear advantage.

In the second round, Konyuncu socked Gordon with an uppercut before Gordon knocked him to the floor with a blow to the head. When the two were pulled apart, Konyuncu was seen bleeding profusely from a wound on the side of his head, and the judges made the call to end the fight there, awarding the victory to Gordon.


Ancient maps, scorched books, and survival art: Inside Israel Museum’s winter exhibitions
There’s ne’er a dull moment at the Israel Museum. The expansive arts repository on the Jerusalem hilltop is constantly vamping, revamping, and keeping us on our toes as it unfurls an endless stream of works, across all sorts of stylistic and genre domains and cultural fields. The museum’s winter season was recently launched with the opening of five exhibitions, with the presentation fare covering a broad swath of thematic, aesthetic, and cultural bases.

One of the more intriguing and surprising offerings is the spread of ancient maps in the exhibition titled Fact, Faith, and Fantasy: Maps of the Holy Land from the Chinn Collection.” The latter references the fact that the items on display come from a slew of works painstakingly collated by British philanthropist Sir Trevor Chinn and his wife, Lady Susan Chinn.

The exhibition was devised by Ariel Tishby, who serves as the museum’s curator of the Norman Bier Section for Maps of the Holy Land. He notes the contradictory, nay misleading, essence of the maps of yesteryear up front.

“Despite the use of terms like ‘true’ and ‘real’ in their titles, they are inherently selective, reflecting a certain way to view and interpret the world,” Tishby says.

It seems that charts relating to this part of the world, channeled through the politically driven religious prism of the Christian superpowers of the day, fell quite some way short of accuracy.

“Maps of the Holy Land were conceived primarily as a ‘geographical stage’ for the events described in the Scriptures,” Tishby adds, “making those narratives come alive and reinforcing Christian belief.”

The Chinn Collection makes for impressive, if not a little bemusing, viewing. The exhibits date back across more than four centuries and include rare or one-off exemplars, several of which are making their first public appearance.

The maps reflect multifaceted and even multidisciplinary philosophies, and often challenge the viewers to orient themselves accordingly.

There are some basic assumptions to consider and, possibly, reexamine. “Why, for example, do we always consider north as being upwards?” Tishby poses. “In olden times, east was the guiding direction. Just think of the word ‘orientation’ – orient means ‘east.’”
How a machzor survived over six centuries and Nazi attacks to make it to Israel
Throughout the Holocaust that devastated European Jewry, there were innumerable stories of the survival of men, women, and children. There were also many accounts of survival not of people but of religious objects: Torah scrolls, siddurim, and machzorim.

These accounts reveal a great deal about how precious and significant these objects were to many different communities. The following is the story of a machzor that was handwritten in 1272 in Wurzburg, Germany, and eventually made its way to Israel.

The first Jews arrived in Wurzburg at the end of the 11th century, having escaped the Rhine communities that had been ravaged by massacres perpetrated by Crusaders in 1096. Among them were rabbis, scribes, artisans, and moneylenders. For two centuries, the Jewish community grew and established synagogues, schools, and mikvehs (ritual baths).

Every text that was produced during that period was handwritten on parchment. One of those items was a machzor written by the scribe Simhah ben Yehuda and beautifully illuminated by Shemiah Hazorfati. One source states that it took Ben Yehuda almost an entire year to carefully copy all of the tefillot (prayers) contained within it. While today we associate a machzor primarily with the High Holy Days, this particular machzor also contained prayers for Shabbat and the three pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.

A special prayer added on the seventh day of Passover is one for dew, and there is a note written in Yiddish in the margin that states: “Let a good day shine for him who will carry this machzor to the synagogue.” Apparently, the precious prayer book was not kept in the synagogue itself but in someone’s home. Unlike today’s siddurim and machzorim, which are easily carried, this one was extremely heavy. In addition, it includes many famous piyutim (Jewish liturgical poetry), among them “U’nataneh Tokef” and “Kol Nidrei” recited on Yom Kippur night.




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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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