Author: JNS.Org
OPINION: Batsheva Neuer Anti-Zionism has never been a single doctrine with a single source. It has emerged from different religious, ideological and political traditions, some of which were not rooted in hostility toward Jews. One important strand of Jewish opposition to Zionism was theological and eschatological. Certain ultra-Orthodox groups, most notably Satmar Chassidism, rejected Zionism because they believed that the Jewish return to Zion must await messianic redemption. From this perspective, Zionism was not merely politically mistaken but religiously improper: an attempt to force redemption before its divinely-appointed time. Other forms of Jewish anti-Zionism were grounded in liberal, civic or…
By Akiva Van Koningsveld/JNS.org The Israel Defense Forces jammed the radios of the Turkish-led Gaza flotilla and broadcast Britney Spears’ “Oops! … I Did It Again,” a source familiar with the matter confirmed to JNS on Tuesday. Flotilla organizers told Reuters that Israeli Navy commandos on Monday boarded 39 vessels in the eastern Mediterranean, some 250 nautical miles (463 km) from the Gaza Strip, and arrested those aboard, including 44 Turkish nationals. Israel’s Foreign Ministry shared video footage showing the activists celebrating and hugging aboard an IDF ship after being detained. “So far, no aid has been found on their boats,” the MFA tweeted.…
by Amelie Botbol/JNS.org U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that renewed military action against Iran was a possibility if the mullahs “misbehave, if they do something bad.” “Right now, we’ll see. It’s a possibility that could happen, certainly,” the president told reporters before departing Palm Beach, Fla. Responding to reports that Tehran retains some 15% of its ballistic missile capabilities, Trump said he “would like to eliminate it” as it would constitute “a start for them to build up again.” Trump said he would be reviewing Tehran’s latest proposal for a diplomatic agreement on the plane. The Trump administration…
U.S. Central Command said early on Monday that it would begin supporting “Project Freedom” to ensure the free flow of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global trade route. The operation, directed by U.S. President Donald Trump, aims to safeguard merchant vessels transiting the strait, through which U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) noted that roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and significant volumes of fuel and fertilizer pass. CENTCOM said the mission will include guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, unmanned systems and about 15,000 personnel. U.S. will guide neutral ships out of Strait of Hormuz…
By Oded Ailam/JNS.org Tehran authorities are increasing internal security measures, deploying elite units, restricting communication channels and using advanced monitoring to suppress potential protests. They are also relying more on external militias and vulnerable populations to bolster enforcement capacity. Economic vulnerability, especially tied to oil production and sanctions, poses a major risk to sustaining control. A convergence of leadership uncertainty, economic strain and infrastructure disruption could undermine the regime’s ability to maintain authority. Recently, the Iranian Supreme National Security Council convened an emergency meeting. The issues on the agenda were the most urgent: operational readiness and internal suppression. They discussed…
By Etgar Lefkovits/JNS.org A joint Jewish-Greek choral concert in Australia, intended to raise money for the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre in December, has been abruptly canceled after Greek choir members voted against performing with Jews.12 The concert between the Australian Hellenic Choir and the Sydney Jewish Choral Society—titled “Concert for Hope and Unity”—was nixed after more than half of the Hellenic choir objected to performing with the Jewish group, The Australian reported on Monday. “There’s a bit of antisemitism in the Greek community; I didn’t realize the extent of it,” Australian Hellenic Choir president James Tsolakis told The Australian. “Unfortunately, we have a…
By Stephen Flatow/JNS.org The latest clash between Pope Leo XIV and U.S. President Donald Trump follows a familiar script: A religious leader warns against the moral dangers of war, and a political figure responds with characteristic bluntness, if not outright derision. This is not a new dynamic. From Pope John Paul II’s opposition to the Iraq War, to Pope Francis’s clashes with Trump during his first term, religious leaders have often warned against the moral dangers of conflict–only to be brushed aside or openly challenged by political leaders focused on security and power. But beneath the predictable exchange lies a…
By Amelie Botbol/jns.org Tourists ride out war from hotel shelters Foreign visitors caught in Israel amid escalating conflict describe disrupted travel, sleepless nights and a growing sense of solidarity as they wait for flights home. At the Orchid Hotel in Tel Aviv, the bomb shelter on level minus one is filled largely with foreign voices, with little Hebrew heard. The space is occupied by tourists who arrived for short visits, but now find themselves stranded in Israel, with no clear departure date. Jacqueline Sanders, a headhunter from the Netherlands, arrived on Feb. 23 for what was meant to be a…
The Israeli military said it recovered internal Hamas documents in the Gaza Strip that suggest that Hezbollah allowed the Palestinian terror group to establish positions inside Lebanese territory without official state approval and with Iranian coordination. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are U.S.-designated terror organizations backed by the Islamic Republic. Lt. Col. Ella Waweya, a spokeswoman for the Arabic media division of the Israeli military, said the documents detail meetings between top Hamas and Hezbollah officials, including a Quds Force commander, to approve joint military projects. “We call on the Lebanese government to take practical and meaningful measures against Hezbollah, whose…
Steven James Perkinson, 21, of Plainfield, Ind., was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison on Tuesday for vandalizing a local Baptist church, followed by three years of supervised release. Perkinson had pleaded guilty to intentionally damaging religious property and making false statements to federal investigators, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana. On Nov. 18, 2024, Perkinson defaced a sign outside Maple Grove Baptist Church, spray-painting symbols including a pitchfork and the number “666,” and crossing out the sign’s Christian cross. “Targeting any house of worship is an attack on the fundamental freedoms that define our…
Story by Andrew Bernard/jns.org U.S. President Donald Trump told the New York Post that he would not rule out sending American troops into Iran “if they were necessary.” “I don’t care about polling,” he said. “I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground. Like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” the president said. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ ‘if they were necessary.’” The Post reported that recent polling shows a lack of American support for the war. “I think that the polling is very good, but I don’t care about polling.…
Israel’s National Security Council on Saturday called on all citizens abroad to take increased precautions in light of the war with Iran. The council said in a statement issued to the press that the Iranian regime is likely to intensify efforts to carry out attacks abroad against Israeli and Jewish targets, “effective immediately.” The motivation to harm Israelis abroad may also rise among other Islamist elements, such as local “lone wolf” initiatives, it added. The agency directed the public’s attention to existing travel advisories, including on the council’s website, Facebook and Instagram pages, and recommended reviewing the level of travel warnings…
Story by JNS/.org U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that he is displeased with the progress of talks with Iran intended to address the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programs. Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday afternoon before boarding Marine One for a trip to Texas, the president accused Iran of negotiating in bad faith. “We’re not exactly happy with the way they negotiated,” Trump said. “They cannot have nuclear weapons, and we’re not thrilled with the way they’re negotiating.” “It’d be wonderful if they negotiate, really, in good conscience—good faith and…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel has never been stronger, the bond between Washington and Jerusalem has never been tighter, and Iran would be making the worst mistake in its history were it to attack Israel. He declared this during an address to the Knesset plenum on Feb. 23. “I recently returned from my seventh meeting with the president of the United States since he was elected,” he said, describing the relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and himself as unprecedented. That relationship extends to the Israel Defense Forces and the U.S. military, according to Netanyahu,…
Victorian police are investigating a suspected antisemitic assault on an 18-year-old man who was allegedly punched in the face at a Scouts camp while wearing a yarmulke and carrying an Israeli flag, Australia’s 9News reported on Monday. Police said Joshua Levy was first verbally abused by an unknown man while walking at Lardner Park in West Gippsland about 2 p.m. on Saturday, then later assaulted by the same person in a crowd of about 300 people at around 9 p.m. Levy suffered bruising around his nose and swelling to his cheek and reported the incident to police the following day with his…
Story by Canaan Lindoor/jns.org French Interior Ministry data showed incidents targeting Jews formed the majority of roughly 2,500 acts against religious groups recorded last year. Most of the documented hate crimes targeting a religious group in France last year were against Jews, who make up 0.6% of the population, the French Interior Ministry said on Friday.The ministry’s report of anti-religious hate crimes for 2025 counted 1,320 antisemitic cases out of 2,489 offences targeting all religious minorities. The report was published on the 20th anniversary of the murder of Ilan Halimi, a French Jew who in 2006 was abducted, tortured and murdered by…
Following a near doubling in antisemitic crimes in Sweden, police in Stockholm moved a weekly anti-Israel rally to a Holocaust memorial monument bordering the city’s main synagogue, despite protests by the local Jewish community, its leader told JNS on Monday. On Saturday, “the rally was moved to the Raoul Wallenberg memorial, which is really offensive,” the president of the Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, Aron Verständig, told JNS. The new location, situated 50 yards from the Great Synagogue of Stockholm, makes “people feel threatened,” Verständig added. Last month, a report by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) counted 217 reported antisemitic hate…