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After their synagogue is vandalized, Porto Jews brace for antisemitism during Israel-Hamas war
(JTA) — Gabriel Senderowicz woke up on Wednesday to see his synagogue in Portugal’s small coastal city of Porto was vandalized overnight.
Black graffiti scrawled over the white gate to the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue read “Free Palestine” and “End Israel Apartheid.” The largest synagogue on the Iberian Peninsula and among the largest in Europe, Kadoorie serves a tight-knit community of about 1,000 Porto Jews, including many with familial ties to Israel. The graffiti was removed the same day and no arrest has been made.
Porto has braced for flaring tensions as the brutal and rapidly escalating Israel-Hamas war splits communities around the world. Since Hamas militants rampaged Israeli towns on Saturday, more than 1,400 Israelis and nearly 2,700 Palestinians have been killed. Israel declared a complete siege on the enclave and hundreds of thousands have fled south ahead of an expected ground invasion.
European leaders have increased security around synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods to prepare for antisemitic threats in the wake of the conflict. A spate of incidents last week across the globe included a vandalism campaign that marked Stars of David on apartment buildings where Jews lived in Berlin and a rally in Australia that included “gas the Jews” chants.
Senderowicz, who is president of the Jewish Community of Porto, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that many Porto Jews anticipate becoming the most prominent target for antisemitism in their country. The community has visibly flourished in recent years, growing from about 40 Jews in 2012 to roughly 1,000 today. Though Porto and Lisbon have similarly-sized Jewish populations, Porto has the largest synagogue and more Jewish institutions, including a Jewish museum, a Holocaust Museum and several kosher restaurants.
Senderowicz said he was not surprised by the appearance of graffiti on his synagogue. He expected some form of retaliation after a vigil for victims of the Hamas attack the previous night, which drew about 400 people to Porto’s city hall. The building was illuminated in the colors of the Israeli flag.
The synagogue was also vandalized in 2021 by a left-wing German group that accused Porto Jews of being “fascists.”
For many members of the community, the Hamas assault hit close to home. One Israeli resident of Porto had a niece at the Tribe of Nova music festival near the Gaza Strip, where she was among the 260 people murdered by Hamas gunmen. Another Israeli who lives in Porto was called in for reserve duty, leaving his wife and children behind. Senderowicz himself has a cousin and an uncle currently serving in the Israeli army.
After discovering the graffiti on Wednesday, Senderowicz met with representatives of the city’s Catholic and Muslim communities about protecting against violence.
“We met in the city hall to make sure that the relationship between our communities is safe, it’s solid,” he told JTA. “This doesn’t have consequences for our relationship.”
Nonetheless, the community is prepared for a spike in antisemitic threats. Porto police have reinforced their presence around the synagogue and other Jewish institutions, while Jewish leaders are avoiding in-person events. Senderowicz canceled attending a conference in Zagreb this week, both for security reasons and to support the Jews in his city.
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The post After their synagogue is vandalized, Porto Jews brace for antisemitism during Israel-Hamas war appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Washington Warns UK, France Against Recognizing Palestinian Statehood
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy leaves Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville
i24 News – The United States has warned the UK and France not to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at a UN conference scheduled for June 17 in New York, the Middle East Eye reported Tuesday.
France and Saudi Arabia will co-host this conference on the two-state solution, with Paris reportedly preparing to unilaterally recognize Palestine. France is also pressuring London to follow this path, according to sources from the British Foreign Office.
French media reports indicate that French authorities believe they have the agreement of the British government. Meanwhile, Arab states are encouraging this move, measuring the success of the conference by the recognitions obtained.
This initiative deeply divides Western allies. If France and the UK were to carry out this recognition, they would become the first G7 nations to take this step, causing a “political earthquake” according to observers, given their historical ties with Israel. The Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer threatened last week to annex parts of the West Bank if this recognition took place, according to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
In the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary David Lammy publicly opposes unilateral recognition, stating that London would only recognize a Palestinian state when we know that it is going to happen and that it is in view.
However, pressure is mounting within the Labour Party. MP Uma Kumaran, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the government was elected on a platform that promised to recognize Palestine as a step towards a just and lasting peace. Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, believes that there is no legitimate reason for the United States to interfere in a sovereign decision of recognition, while highlighting the unpredictability of US President Donald Trump on this issue.
The post Washington Warns UK, France Against Recognizing Palestinian Statehood first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Police, Shin Bet Thwart Suspected Iranian Attempt Perpetrate Terror Attack
A small number of Jewish worshipers pray during the priestly blessing, a traditional prayer which usually attracts thousands of worshipers at the Western Wall on the holiday of Passover during 2020, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 12, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ronen Zvulun.
i24 News – The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police thwarted another Iranian attempt to recruit Israelis, according to a statement on Tuesday, arresting a resident of East Jerusalem for allegedly carrying out missions for the Islamic Republic.
Iranian agents recruited the suspect, who in turn recruited members of his family. He is a resident of the Isawiya neighborhood in his 30s, and is accused of maintaining contact with a hostile foreign entity to harm the state by carrying out a terrorist attack against Jews.
The suspect had already begun perpetrating acts of sabotage and espionage, including collecting intelligence about areas in Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and Mahane Yehuda Market. He also hung signs, burned Israeli army uniforms, and more in exchange for payment totaling thousands of shekels.
He was also charged with planning a terror attack in central Israel, including setting fire to a forest, and was told to transfer weapons to terrorist elements in the West Bank.
The suspect’s sought the help of family members, including his mother. A search at his home revealed sums of cash, a spray can used in some of his activities, airsoft guns, suspected illegal drugs, and more.
His indictment is expected to be filed by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office.
The statement said that the case is yet another example of Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis. “We will continue to coordinate efforts to thwart terrorism and terrorist elements, including those operating outside Israel, while attempting to mobilize local elements in order to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Shin Bet and Police said.
The post Police, Shin Bet Thwart Suspected Iranian Attempt Perpetrate Terror Attack first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt holds a chart showing the development of antisemitic crime, during a press conference on Figures for Politically Motivated Crime in the Country, in Berlin, Germany, May 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Cybercrime in Germany rose to a record level last year, driven by hacker attacks from pro-Russian and anti-Israeli groups, the BKA Federal Crime Office reported on Tuesday as the government said it would boost countermeasures to combat it.
“Cybercrime is an increasing threat to our security,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. “It is getting more aggressive but our counter-strategies are also becoming more professional,” he said.
Some 131,391 cases of cybercrime took place in Germany last year and a further 201,877 cases were committed from abroad or an unknown location, a BKA report said.
The actors behind the hacker attacks on German targets were primarily either pro-Russian or anti-Israeli, said the BKA, adding targets were mostly public and federal institutions.
Ransomware, when criminals copy and encrypt data, is one of the main threats, said the BKA, with 950 companies and institutes reporting cases in 2024.
German digital association Bitkom said damage caused by cyberattacks here totaled 178.6 billion euros ($203.87 billion) last year, some 30.4 billion euros more than in the previous year.
Dobrindt said the government planned to extend the legal capabilities authorities could use to combat cybercrime and set higher security standards for companies.
The post Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany first appeared on Algemeiner.com.