RSS
Spurred by Israel-Hamas war, GOP makes Republican Jewish Coalition a partner in the next presidential debate
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Republican Jewish Coalition will cosponsor the next Republican presidential debate, a sign that Hamas’ invasion of Israel, and the ensuing war, will take center-stage when the candidates meet in Miami in November.
The announcement on Monday marks the first time a major party has brought in a Jewish group as a cosponsor of a presidential debate. The RJC will be able to put questions directly to the candidates, and CEO Matt Brooks told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that its questions will focus on the war, but may also address domestic issues such as the recent reported spike in antisemitism.
“As the horrific events of the last week have unfolded in Israel, the issue of American foreign policy has taken on an even greater role,” Norm Coleman, the former Minnesota senator and longtime RJC chairman, said in a statement. The debate will come just over a week after the major presidential candidates are due to appear at the RJC’s annual conference in Las Vegas. That venue allows for speeches, but not sparring between candidates.
The RJC’s inclusion in the debate comes at a time of divisions on Israel among Republicans, who had become known for near-uniform support of the country and the policies of its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Some leading figures in the party, including the former U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, have praised the Biden administration’s robust backing for Israel. Others, like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, have accused the Biden administration of undermining Israel. Some, like presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, have questioned the extent of U.S. defense assistance for Israel.
Complicating the party’s pro-Israel calculus, the frontrunner in the field, former President Donald Trump, last week mocked Netanyahu’s handling of the war. That spurred sharp criticism from other candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Additionally, conspiracy theories are circulating on the far right asserting that Netanyahu ignored intelligence ahead of the war as a means to a political end. Those claims have been embraced by figures close to Trump such as Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth movement.
Republicans’ ongoing struggle to elect a speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives has meant that efforts to advance pro-Israel legislation and aid have stalled. The speaker seat has been vacant since a group of far-right Republicans engineered the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy earlier this month.
Brooks said in an interview that it was not yet clear how his group would participate in the debate. In previous debates, moderators occasionally cut away to representatives of interest groups to ask one or more questions.
“I don’t know who it will be that represents the RJC yet, we haven’t made that determination,” he said. “But whoever is there as the representative of the RJC either in person, live or via taped remarks will ask the questions.”
The other two co-sponsors of the Nov. 8 debate are Salem Media, a conservative broadcaster, and Rumble, an online video platform for right-wing views.
—
The post Spurred by Israel-Hamas war, GOP makes Republican Jewish Coalition a partner in the next presidential debate appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
RSS
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.
RSS
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.
RSS
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.