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25 Jewish dishes to eat in NYC right now
(New York Jewish Week) — In a metropolis like ours — with both an incredibly rich Jewish heritage and a dynamic, ever-changing dining scene — it is almost impossible to choose just 25 dishes that define what Jewish food in New York City is like today.
And yet, that’s exactly what we tried to do with this list, created in partnership with our colleagues at The Nosher. Rather than present a “best of,” we aim to paint a vibrant portrait of the city’s Jewish food landscape, from classics like herring schmaltz and egg creams to new mashups like churros made from Yemenite malawach dough and bright-green vegan pickle-flavored soft serve.
This compilation of standout Jewish dishes across the boroughs is meant to capture what Jewish food — and maybe even being Jewish — is like in New York City today: joyful, a little bit syncretic, sometimes messy and always a source of pride.
From kosher adjaruli khachapuri — a Georgian cheese bread boat — in Queens to a Wagyu pastrami sandwich in Brooklyn, keep reading for our list of 25 Jewish dishes to eat in NYC right now.
Is your favorite Jewish dish not on our list? Let us know what we missed so that we may include it on a future list. Happy eating!
1 | Adjaruli khachapuri
Marani
(Shannon Sarna)
Ten years ago, one of the few places in New York City to get a Georgian cheese boat, or adjaruli khachapuri, was Marani, a two-level kosher Georgian restaurant in Rego Park, Queens. Today there are several more Georgian menus around town, but Marani remains the only kosher Georgian restaurant in the city. It’s really two restaurants in one: Upstairs, you’ll find a full bar and a meat menu with items like khinkali (Georgian soup dumplings). But downstairs, the dairy portion of the restaurant, is where you’ll find an Instagram-worthy cheese boat. Marani offers four varieties of khachapuri, but the classic boat-shaped adjaruli ($16), topped with raw egg and butter, is what cheesy carb dreams are made of. (Kosher) — Shannon Sarna
2 | Cheddar jalapeno knish
Yonah Schimmel
(Lily Lester)
Yonah Schimmel’s started as a Coney Island pushcart in 1890, and their Lower East Side storefront at 137 East Houston St. has been in business since 1910. Inside, the original counter still stands, and their knishes — essentially potato-filled Ashkenazi pastries — have been made the same way since then, too. Alongside the traditional potato, Yonah Schimmel’s has a host of knish flavors on the daily, from savory kasha and broccoli to sweet apple strudel and chocolate cheese, plus rotating daily specials. On the afternoon of our visit, we were lucky enough to try the cheddar jalapeno knish ($5.50) — a thick, almost mashed potato-filled pastry with a cheesy, mildly spicy kick. This one is definitely not your bubbe’s knish. (Kosher) — Lily Lester
3 | Chocolate rugelach
Lee Lee’s Baked Goods
(Lily Lester)
If you’re looking to meet a legend and taste legendary rugelach, we’ve got you covered: Alvin Lee Smalls, better known as “Lee Lee,” has been making rugelach in his Harlem bakery for more than 50 years. His mission has been to introduce rugelach to his uptown neighbors, as well to keep the craft of artisanal, handmade rugelach alive. Smalls, who is African American and not Jewish, started making the rolled cookies after seeing a recipe in the paper. After six months of tweaking, he perfected it. (His secret? Butter — and lots of it.) The soft, flaky, mouth-watering pastries come in three flavors: raspberry, apricot and, perhaps best of all, chocolate, which is especially memorable and gooey ($3 each). Sitting amid the homey, Southern kitchen-like decor at Lee Lee’s Baked Goods with a fresh plate of rugelach is a cross-cultural dream — and I don’t want to wake up. — Lily Lester
4 | Egg Cream
S&P Lunch
(Lily Lester)
Egg creams — which famously involve neither eggs nor cream — are one of those iconic New York Jewish foods with with mysterious origins. Does the name derive from a mispronunciation of the Yiddish word “echt,” meaning genuine? Or is it a riff off the phrase “Grade A milk”? No matter. If you are in search of the platonic ideal of a classic egg cream, head to Flatiron’s S&P Lunch. There, the folks behind the newly revamped old-school lunch counter use “the same ingredients that everybody uses,” as co-owner Eric Finkelstein told us us, adding, “the order of operations is very important.” I’m not a scientist, so I can’t tell you how or why S&P’s combination of seltzer, milk and Fox’s U-Bet syrup ($5) is so delicious — just trust me when I tell you that it is. — Lisa Keys
5 | Everything bagel with smoked whitefish salad
Modern Bread and Bagel
Upper West Side, Manhattan | Chelsea, Manhattan
(Shevy Baskin)
Embracing a gluten-free diet doesn’t mean your bagel-eating days are over. Thanks to the folks at kosher-certified Modern Bread and Bagel — which now boasts two locations in Manhattan — you can enjoy an everything bagel with whitefish salad ($13.95) that’s so good, you likely will forget it’s gluten-free. Don’t just take our word for it: These bagels have been named among the best in the city in a massive bagel-tasting project. We especially appreciate that the whitefish salad isn’t too salty, and that the pickled red onions add a welcome bite. (Kosher) — Shannon Sarna
6 | French fries with tehina ketchup
Laser Wolf
(Michael Persico)
For two summers in a row, New Yorkers and tourists alike have clamored for a table at Chef Michael Solomonov’s Tel Aviv-inspired eatery, Laser Wolf, located on the rooftop of Williamsburg’s Hoxton Hotel. The main attractions here are the skewers — meat, fish or vegetables — which are cooked on a charcoal grill and come with a bottomless and ever-changing selection of salatim, or Israeli salads. But the true revelation at Laser Wolf may be the french fries, which are a far cry from simple fried sticks of potatoes. These special spuds are brined, steamed, frozen and finally deep fried, creating the crispiest exterior and a super creamy interior. Each order ($14) is served with tehina ketchup. So what if the only reservation you can snag is at 10 p.m. on a weeknight? These fries are worth it. — Shannon Sarna
7 | Hummus masabaha with sauteed chicken liver
Miss Ada
(Courtesy Miss Ada)
The punnily named Brooklyn eatery Miss Ada — a play on the Hebrew word for restaurant, “misada” — is located just one block from Fort Greene Park. Inside the airy space, which has a charming backyard and an open kitchen decorated with fresh herbs, chef/owner Tomer Blechman offers his elevated take on traditional Israeli and Middle Eastern dishes. There’s no wrong dish to order, though the most comforting item on the dinner menu may be the creamy hummus masabaha with sauteed chicken liver — fresh hummus topped with warm chicken livers and caramelized onions ($15). You can “wipe” the delicious combo with fresh pita like an expert or eat it daintily with a knife and fork (well, as daintily as you can eat hummus). If you’re a chopped liver fan, this is one dish you won’t want to pass up on. As a bonus, a stroll through Fort Greene Park makes a great aperitif. — Lior Zaltzman
8 | Iced café slushie
Edith’s Sandwich Counter
(Brendan Cunningham)
On my first trip to Israel I fell in love with “ice café.” Not to be confused with a cold cup of coffee with ice cubes, Israeli ice café is essentially a coffee milkshake that’s delicious and refreshing in any season, but especially the scorching summer. Here in New York, Edith’s Sandwich Counter — a tiny Williamsburg spot that celebrates Jewish food from around the world — has made this treat even better. Edith’s iced café ($8.25) — a slushie made of cold brew, oat milk and tahini — is a delicious vegan concoction that’s both less sweet than a milkshake but creamier. What’s more, Edith’s offers a punch card to earn a free iced café slushie after your 10th purchase — which won’t be a difficult feat. — Julia Gergely
9 | Jachnun
12 Chairs Cafe
Soho, Manhattan| Williamsburg, Brooklyn
(Courtesy of 12 Chairs)
Jachnun is a hand-rolled Yemenite pastry that, while ubiquitous in Israel, is surprisingly hard to find in New York. But at 12 Chairs Cafe, an Israeli restaurant with locations in Soho and Williamsburg, you can get your fill: As part of their weekend brunch menu, you can order jachnun ($14), which is cooked slow and low overnight with a touch of date honey, resulting in a flaky, chewy and sweet pastry that melts in your mouth. The jachnun is served rolled up with traditional savory sides of zhug (a Yemenite spicy sauce), hard-boiled eggs and crushed tomatoes. The delectable treat might transport you to faraway lands, but be sure to take in the vibes right where you are: On the weekends, 12 Chairs is an especially lively spot where Israeli pop music is blasted through the speakers. — Julia Gergely
10 | Kafe Hawaij sticky bun
Fan-Fan Doughnuts
(Melissa Hom)
At Brooklyn’s Fan-Fan Doughnuts, James Beard-nominated Chef Fany Gerson makes decadent fried dough treats with juicy, oozing toppings and fillings. Gerson marries her Mexican and Jewish roots in her creations, which include guava and cheese doughnuts and, for Hanukkah, wonderfully comforting sufganiyot. Amid all these bright and inventive offerings are her sticky buns, a rolled pastry ($5.50) made with New York Shuk’s Kafe Hawaij, a transporting Israeli-Yemeni spiced coffee mix. Come early, prepare to stand in line and perhaps bring some extra napkins and wipes — because Fan-Fan is an immersive and sometimes sticky experience. — Lior Zaltzman
11 | Malawach churros
Balaboosta
(Peter Bonacci)
Chef Einat Admony’s Israeli dishes have been a staple of the NYC food scene since 2005, when Admony first opened Taim, a fast-service restaurant specializing in falafel. Since then, Admony has opened (and closed) several restaurants, including Kish Kash, Bar Bolonat and her second iteration of Balaboosta, a modern Israeli restaurant now located in the West Village, named for the Yiddish term for “perfect housewife.” Balaboosta is known for dishes like fried olives with labne and cauliflower with peanut tahini, but if you’re craving an extra-special sweet treat, save room for the malawach churros ($13). A riff on the popular Spanish/Portuguese treat, Admony’s churros are made of malawach — a flaky Yemenite flatbread that is popular throughout Israel. They are deep-fried, coated in cinnamon sugar and served with a mixed berry sauce and dulce de leche. — Shannon Sarna
12 | Manti
Chaikhana Sem Sorok
(Shannon Sarna)
Step off the subway in Rego Park, Queens and you’ll be surrounded by the melodious sounds of Russian, Spanish, Korean, Polish and more. This diverse neighborhood is also home to the largest Bukharian Jewish community outside of Israel; walk a few blocks east on 63rd Drive and you will have your choice of kosher restaurants that specialize in this Central Asian cuisine. Our pick of the bunch is Chaikhana Sem Sorok, a glatt kosher eatery featuring traditional Uzbeki and Bukharian cuisine, including some shlep-worthy manti dumplings topped with a hefty sprinkle of black pepper ($12 for four large dumplings the size of a child’s fist). The subway ride will feel worth it when you bite into the fatty meat surrounded by a delicate wrapping, but be sure to explore the rest of the menu, too, including the spiced lagman soup with noodles and hunks of meat; savory samsa pastries filled with beef, lamb or pumpkin; plus traditional tandoor bread to sop it all up. (Kosher) — Shannon Sarna
13 | Meat kubeh with beet broth
Kubeh
(Shannon Sarna)
The menu at Kubeh, which is dedicated to “lesser-known cuisines of the Middle East,” features seasonal salads, shareable plates and well-balanced cocktails. But what you really want to order is their namesake dish: kubeh, Iraqi-Kurdish stuffed dumplings served with your choice of broth. We recommend the traditional Kurdish siske kubeh, which are filled with slow-cooked beef. Pair them with selek, a rich beet and celery broth ($21). Before opening her restaurants, Long Island native Chef Melanie Shurka traveled to Israel and spent weeks with Iraqi grandmothers and renowned chefs learning how to carefully craft this regional dish. Now, New Yorkers get to enjoy the fruits of her labor: At Kubeh, they hand roll each dumpling they serve, carrying on this delicious, sacred tradition of comfort food. — Shannon Sarna
14 | Mercato Platter
Ras Plant Based
Crown Heights, Brooklyn | Chelsea, Manhattan
(Lily Lester)
Ras Plant Based, a happening, colorful spot on Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights, serves up tasty vegan Ethiopian cuisine. Though its owners, Milka and Romeo Regalli, aren’t Jewish, they decided to pursue kosher certification after a local rabbi offered to help them do it. “It was an easy decision to make,” Milka tells us. “We wanted to be able to open our space to everyone in the community.” The Mercato Platter ($21) is a must-try sampler of the eatery’s “spicier” dishes, including yakatilt — a medley of carrots, onions, cabbage and bell pepper; gomen, or braised collards; and missir, a red lentil stew with berbere sauce. The colorful spread arrives on a bed of spongy injera that melts in your mouth. With several rolled-up pieces of injera on the side, the platter is a fun meal to share with a friend. (Kosher) — Julia Gergely
15 | New York-style cheesecake
S&S Cheesecake
(Courtesy of S&S Cheesecake)
Up in the northern reaches of the Bronx, an unassuming storefront has been producing delectable cheesecakes every day for more than 60 years. Many consider S&S Cheesecake to be the best in a city known for its cheesecakes. The business was founded by Holocaust survivor Fred Schuster in 1960 and little has changed since then, including the recipe: The rich, creamy cheesecake is dense, flavorful and not too sweet with a soft, crumbly bottom. “The secret is to bake with love and serve with pride and passion,” says Yair Ben-Zaken, Schuster’s son-in-law, who operates the bakery today. The cakes are certified kosher and prices start at $20 for a 7-inch cake. (Kosher) — Julia Gergely
16 | Onion disc
Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys
Lower East Side, Manhattan | Hudson Yards, Manhattan | Upper East Side, Manhattan
(Julian Voloj)
Kossar’s Bagels and Bialys is world-famous for its bialys, with good reason: They’ve been baking the crusty rolls, with a center filled with toasted onion, on the Lower East Side since 1936. Buying a bialy (or a dozen) from Kossar’s is never the wrong move, though savvy New Yorkers know to arrive early or pre-order a large onion disc, also known as pletzl. This giant wheel of a carbohydrate, topped with caramelized onions and poppy seeds, is an incredible value at $6.95. Grab some cream cheese on your way out the door and you’ve got a hearty snack for the whole family. — Lisa Keys
17 | Pickle soft serve
Jacob’s Pickles
Moynihan Train Hall, Manhattan
(Courtesy of Jacob’s Pickles)
“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked the person behind the counter at Jacob’s Pickles when we ordered the pickle soft serve ($5). The correct answer: Yes, yes you do. The vegan, oat-milk-based pickle-flavored soft serve, topped with pickle slices, tastes like cucumber sorbet and is the refreshing treat you didn’t know you needed. Be warned: The portion size is enormous, so whether you’re looking for a palate cleanser or a revitalizing midday snack, sharing this frozen treat is an excellent group activity for anyone but the faintest of hearts. — Lily Lester
18 | Pickles (with a side of books)
Sweet Pickle Books
(Isabella Armus)
Ever sit down with a good pickle and wished you had a book to enjoy with it? Or vice versa? Well, both come hand-in-hand at Sweet Pickle Books — a one-of-a-kind used bookstore that also sells its own line of pickles. Located on Orchard Street near the Lower East Side’s historic “pickle alley,” owner Leah Altshuler came up with the idea for her hybrid shop at the beginning of the pandemic and it’s still thriving today. Drop by the cozy space, which is filled with love-worn paperbacks that hover below the $10 mark, and either swap your book donations for a jar of bread-and-butter, spicy or dill pickles — or simply buy a jar the old-fashioned way ($9.50-$12.95). — Isabella Armus
19 | Schmaltz & a Shot
Russ & Daughters Cafe
(Courtesy of Russ and Daughters)
When people think of Russ & Daughters, their first thought is usually smoked fish, and rightly so: The family-owned appetizing business has been specializing in the stuff since they opened in 1914. But at Russ & Daughters Cafe on Orchard Street, a sit-down restaurant around the corner from the original Russ & Daughters location, a herring dish, Schmaltz & a Shot ($17), draws upon the legacy of the eatery’s Jewish founder: Back in the day, Joel Russ would sit at a small table at his Houston Street shop where he’d kibbitz with friends and customers over schmaltz herring (extra-fatty herring) and schnapps. Today, the nostalgic plate of herring, raw onion and boiled potato hearkens back to this intimate, old-school vibe — while the bracing shot of vodka brings you right back to the present. — Lily Lester
20 | Schmaltz potatoes
Agi’s Counter
(Courtesy of Agi’s Counter)
Ashkenazi influences are peppered throughout the menu at Agi’s Counter, a charming neighborhood restaurant in Crown Heights that’s owned and operated by Chef Jeremy Salamon. The wine list is composed of exclusively Hungarian wines — a nod to Salamon’s heritage — and if you’re a fan of strong Eastern European flavors like caraway seeds, beets and trout, this is the spot for you. But perhaps the best reason for Jewish food lovers to come to Agi’s Counter is for the schmaltz potatoes, which are prepared confit-style in chicken fat and served with a healthy dollop of schmaltz aioli and lots of fresh chives. It comes as a side dish for $13, but it shines like the main attraction. — Shannon Sarna
21 | Seder Plate Margarita
Gertrude’s
(Lana Schwartz)
The Passover seder plate is rife with symbolism: bitter herbs represent the bitterness of slavery; saltwater represents the tears of our ancestors; and, in recent years, an orange has come to represent women and LGBTQ+ Jews, whose stories aren’t often told. For those who love the ceremony of the seder, you can now seek it out year-round: Gertrude’s, a newish Jewish bistro from the folks behind popular Williamsburg diner Gertie, has a Seder Plate Margarita ($15) on their imaginative cocktail menu. The drink combines some of these Passover flavors — bitter orange, parsley and salt water, plus lime and mezcal — for a unique, refreshing beverage that pairs well with dishes designed to “push the Ashkenazi tradition,” as co-owner Nate Adler says. Four cups of wine not included. — Lana Schwartz
22 | Seoul Meets Bagel sandwich
Between the Bagel
(Courtesy of Between the Bagel)
Walk into Between the Bagel on Astoria’s busy 30th Avenue corridor and you’ll spot a typical Jewish-American bagel menu of eggs, schmears and sandwiches. You’ll also notice, perhaps incongruously, a menu of Korean classics like yachaejeon (Korean vegetable pancakes) and dumplings. The true standouts at this spot are the mashups of of the two cuisines, particularly the popular Seoul Meets Bagel — a bagel topped with beef bulgogi (marinated and grilled beef), egg, cheese, kimchi and gochujang mayo ($10.83, tax included). This spicy, hearty sandwich will keep you full for hours. The friendly owner, Ben Suh, who describes the neighborhood as “a smorgasbord of culture,” has become a local legend: Not just popular for his culinary creations, Suh is known to give candy and samples to his customers, and treats for their dogs. — Lisa Keys
23 | Tahini soft serve sundae
Seed & Mill
(Courtesy of Seed & Mill)
At their stall in Manhattan’s Chelsea Market, Seed & Mill — a New York-based company known for its high-quality tahini and halva — serves a oat-milk-based soft serve that may forever change your mind about vegan desserts. Their satisfying tahini soft serve sundae ($8) is topped with crumbled halva and a drizzle of tahini, resulting in a creamy, salty concoction with just the right amount of contrasting crunch. While you’re there, grab a piece of their rich dark chocolate halva to go. — Shannon Sarna
24 | Thai Tea Babka French Toast
Thai Diner
(Philissa Cramer)
A Thai restaurant might be an unorthodox place to grab babka, but then again the Thai Tea Babka French Toast ($15) at Nolita’s happening Thai Diner is unorthodox in its own right. Only available during brunch and lunch, the dish features thick pillows of homemade babka, swirled with vanilla and fragrant with thai tea. A bright orange Thai-tea-flavored crema and a tiny pitcher of sweetened condensed milk allows customers to intensify the dish’s distinctive blend of rich spices and sweet milkiness. Thai Diner’s pandan-flavored green-and-white cookie offers another Southeast Asian twist on a Jewish deli classic, black-and-white cookies, but the French toast has been a signature dish since the restaurant opened in 2020 for good reason. — Philissa Cramer
25 | Wagyu Pastrami Sando
Shalom Japan
(John Keon)
Since opening in South Williamsburg in 2013, Shalom Japan has been making waves online and IRL. The restaurant is owned by husband-and-wife team Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi, who draw upon their respective Jewish and Japanese roots. You’ve probably seen, or even tried, their iconic matzah ball ramen, which combines two of the world’s greatest comfort soups into a singular stellar dish. However, the star of the impressive menu may be their melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu Pastrami Sando ($22), which features house-cured pastrami simply dressed with Gulden’s mustard and piled between pillowy slices of shokupan, Japanese milk bread. I don’t give this title lightly: This sandwich is the softest thing I’ve ever eaten. — Isabella Armus
Is your favorite Jewish dish not on our list? Let us know what we missed so that we may include it on a future list!
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The post 25 Jewish dishes to eat in NYC right now appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Al Jazeera Hit With Defamation Lawsuit by Syrian Jewish Ex-Refugee
The Al Jazeera Media Network logo is seen on its headquarters building in Doha, Qatar, June 8, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon
A defamation lawsuit was filed against the Qatar-based Al Jazeera media network on Wednesday by Abraham Hamra, a Syrian pro-Israel advocate and lawyer.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Hamra “is a Jewish refugee from Syria, born in Damascus. He fled Syria with his parents and siblings in 1994 at the age of eight, following the partial lifting of restrictions on Jewish emigration by the Syrian regime under President Hafez al-Assad in 1992.”
The Algemeiner obtained a copy of the complaint, which explains that, on Aug. 25, Al Jazeera posted a video claiming that Hamra was paid by the Israeli government to visit an aid site of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an Israel- and US-backed program that delivers aid directly to Palestinians, operating independently from UN-backed mechanisms.
“This accusation is false in its entirety. Plaintiff has never received any payment, compensation, or financial incentive from the Israeli government or any affiliated entity for visiting aid sites in Gaza,” the lawsuit claims.
“The visit by Plaintiff related to Israel and Gaza was undertaken independently, in his personal capacity, on his own dime, as an advocate for his community and to bear witness against misinformation,” the suit continues.
The UN and critics of Israel have expressed concerns that the GHF’s approach forces civilians to risk their safety by traveling long distances across active conflict zones to reach one of its four food distribution points, at times creating chaotic scenes where Israeli forces have used gunfire to control the crowd.
However, supporters of the GHF argue that it bypasses the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which often steals humanitarian supplies for its own purposes and sells the rest at inflated prices. The GHF has called on the UN to publicly condemn the killing of aid workers in Gaza and to collaborate in order to provide relief to the enclave’s population, accusing the UN of perpetuating a “vast disinformation campaign” aimed at tarnishing the foundation’s image.
The lawsuit notes that the social media post from Al Jazeera, which included the image of Hamra, “cites no sources for the ‘reportedly paid’ claim, and publicly available information about Plaintiff, including his professional bio, social media posts, and known activities, demonstrates he is an independent US attorney with no financial ties to foreign governments.”
Al Jazeera also “failed to conduct even basic fact-checking, such as contacting Plaintiff for comment or verifying the allegation, despite their status as a major media network with resources to do so,” according to the lawsuit.
Al Jazeera did not respond to a request for comment from The Algemeiner.
The lawsuit argues why the allegedly false claim rises to the level of libel, saying it “constitutes libel per se under New York law because it accuses Plaintiff of committing a serious crime, namely, violating FARA [the Foreign Agents Registration Act] by acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Israel, and tends to injure him in his profession as a lawyer.”
“FARA requires individuals acting as agents of foreign principals to register with the US Department of Justice, and failure to do so is a federal offense punishable by fines and imprisonment,” the suit says. “By falsely alleging Plaintiff was paid by a foreign government to promote its interests, the statement implies criminal conduct and undermines his professional integrity.”
Consequently, Hamra is seeking payment for damages of at least $1,00,000 and requesting a trial by jury.
Read the lawsuit here: Hamra v Al Jazeera ECF No. 1 Complaint
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US Lawmakers Launch Investigation Into Wikipedia Over Claims of Systemic Anti-Israel Bias
US Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). Photo: Reuters
The US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has opened an investigation into the nonprofit that operates the Wikipedia website, demanding answers over concerns that hostile foreign actors are exploiting the popular online encyclopedia to spread anti-Israel propaganda and antisemitic narratives.
Republican Reps James Comer (KY), who chairs the committee, and Nancy Mace (SC), who chairs the panel’s subcommittee on cybersecurity, information technology, and government innovation, on Wednesday sent a letter to Maryana Iskander, chief executive of the Wikimedia Foundation, asking the nonprofit to turn over records showing how the platform polices disinformation campaigns that target articles related to Israel and the Middle East.
The lawmakers cited studies showing that pro-Russia networks and other state-backed operations have sought to manipulate Wikipedia entries on conflicts involving Israel, often by inserting anti-Israel or antisemitic framing designed to sway Western audiences. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), for example, published a report earlier this year arguing that “malicious” Wikipedia editors have inserted anti-Israel bias onto the site, oftentimes violating the organization’s neutrality policies in the process.
Meanwhile, a report from the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab found evidence of Russian-linked attempts to shape narratives used to train AI chatbots by twisting information about Israel.
“The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating the efforts of foreign operations and individuals at academic institutions subsidized by US taxpayer dollars to influence US public opinion,” Comer and Mace wrote. They emphasized the importance of stopping organized attempts to “inject bias into important and sensitive topics.”
Specifically, the committee is demanding records on possible coordination by nation-states or academic institutions to influence Wikipedia pages, internal arbitration files documenting how the site has handled editor misconduct, identifying data for accounts flagged for suspicious activity, and any analysis showing patterns of manipulation tied to antisemitism or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The letter also requests details of Wikipedia’s editorial policies to ensure neutrality and prevent the spread of bias.
Although the committee acknowledged that most online platforms face disinformation threats, the letter stressed that Wikipedia’s outsized influence as one of the most visited websites in the world and a key training source for artificial intelligence systems makes it especially important to prevent anti-Israel narratives from taking root unchecked.
The Wikimedia Foundation has previously stated that it takes action against volunteer editors who violate neutrality rules, but lawmakers say further transparency is needed to guarantee accountability.
However, a detailed investigation by Pirate Wires in October 2024 revealed that a powerful group of roughly 40 Wikipedia editors coordinated to “delegitimize Israel, present radical Islamist groups in a favorable light, and reshape the narrative around Israel with alarming influence,” particularly after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel. Notably, one editor removed mention of Hamas’s 1988 charter, which calls for the killing of Jews and the destruction of Israel, from the Hamas article just six weeks after the attack. The group also reportedly sought to suppress documented human-rights abuses by Iran, and a related effort by a Discord-based collective known as “Tech For Palestine” coordinated mass editing of articles related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to a report by the Jewish Journal, Wikipedia’s arbitration committee (ArbCom) permanently banned two editors outright for engaging in off-platform coordination tied to the “Tech for Palestine” Discord campaign, citing violations of policies. Additionally, the committee imposed indefinite topic bans on eight editors in the Israeli-Palestinian area for disruptive behavior such as non-neutral editing, personal insults, and misrepresentation of sources. In December 2024, ArbCom permanently banned two anti-Israel editors and placed restrictions on three others for violation of site policies in the Israeli-Palestinian topic area.
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Tunisian Brothers to Face Trial for Cutting Down Olive Tree Honoring Murdered Jew Ilan Halimi in France
A crowd gathers at the Jardin Ilan Halimi in Paris on Feb. 14, 2021, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Halimi’s kidnapping and murder. Photo: Reuters/Xose Bouzas/Hans Lucas
Two Tunisian twin brothers have been arrested in France after allegedly cutting down an olive tree that had been planted to honor Ilan Halimi, a young French Jewish man tortured to death nearly a decade ago.
According to the Bobigny prosecutor’s office, two 19-year-old undocumented men with prior convictions for theft and violence were arrested for vandalizing Halimi’s memorial in the northern Paris suburb of Épinay-sur-Seine.
Both brothers appeared in criminal court on Wednesday and were remanded in custody pending their trial, scheduled for Oct. 22.
They will face trial on charges of “aggravated destruction of property” and “desecration of a monument dedicated to the memory of the dead on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion,” offenses that, according to prosecutors, carry a sentence of up to two years in prison.
Both suspects were taken into custody around noon on Monday while returning to the crime scene, French media reported.
Investigators tracked them down after discovering two slices of watermelon left by the perpetrators at the base of the olive tree, which contained their DNA.
Halimi was abducted, held captive, and tortured in January 2006 by a gang of about 20 people in a low-income housing estate in the Paris suburb of Bagneux.
Three weeks later, Halimi was found in Essonne, south of Paris, naked, gagged, and handcuffed, with clear signs of torture and burns. The 23-year-old died on the way to the hospital.
In 2011, an olive tree was planted in Halimi’s memory. Earlier this month, the memorial was found felled — probably with a chainsaw — in the northern Paris suburb of Epinay-sur-Seine.
Halimi’s memory has faced attacks before, with two other trees planted in his honor vandalized in 2019 in Essonne, where he was found dying near a railway track.
Hervé Chevreau, the mayor of Épinay, announced that a new memorial tree will be planted in the second half of September.
After the attack, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the incident, vowing that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
“Felling the tree in honor of Ilan Halimi is a second attempt on his life,” the French leader said in a post on X.
Halimi’s sister, Anne-Laure Abitbol, also condemned the incident, warning that public denunciations are no longer enough and calling for concrete action.
“In France, we are no longer safe, neither alive nor dead,” Abitbol told RTL in an interview.
“I feel less safe in France,” she said. “By recognizing a Palestinian state, Macron is encouraging antisemitism and failing to take action against antisemitic attacks in the country.”
Last month, Macron announced that France will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September as part of its “commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
Israeli officials have criticized the move, which was followed by several other Western countries, calling it a “reward for terrorism.”
France’s Jewish community has faced a troubling surge in antisemitic incidents and anti-Israel sentiment since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Jewish leaders have consistently called on authorities to take swift action against the rising wave of targeted attacks and anti-Jewish hate crimes they continue to face.
According to the French Interior Ministry, 646 antisemitic incidents were recorded from January to June this year — a drop from the previous year’s first-half record high but a 112.5 percent increase compared with the same period in 2023, when 304 incidents were reported.