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A rising South African cricket star dedicated an award to Israel. Then he was investigated for hate speech.

(JTA) — When 18-year old South African cricket player David Teeger was recognized with a “rising star” honor at a Jewish awards ceremony in October, he dedicated the accolade to Israel.
“Yes, I’ve been [given] this award, and yes, I’m now the rising star, but the true rising stars are the young soldiers in Israel,” Teeger said, according to the South African Jewish Report. “And I’d like to dedicate it to the state of Israel and every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the Diaspora.”
Teeger, who observes Shabbat and keeps kosher, is the captain of South Africa’s under-19 cricket team, which is set to compete in its age group’s World Cup next year. He also holds a high-ranking leadership position at his prestigious King Edward VII School in Johannesburg.
In response to his pro-Israel comments, the local Palestine Solidarity Alliance filed a complaint with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, which launched an investigation into Teeger. He was reportedly suspended from playing cricket while the investigation was ongoing.
Respected barrister Wim Trengove, appointed to lead the inquiry, ultimately cleared Teeger of wrongdoing earlier this month. He ruled that Teeger’s comments did not violate the South African constitution or the code of conduct of his cricket team, the Central Gauteng Lions, according to the South African Daily Maverick newspaper.
“The Constitutional Court has made the point that the right to freedom of expression does not protect hate speech, but emphasized that the expression of unpopular or even offensive beliefs does not constitute hate speech,” Trengove wrote in his findings.
In a similar episode earlier this year, the South African Rugby Union disinvited an Israeli team from an international competition after facing pressure from the South African BDS Coalition, an affiliate of the Palestinian BDS National Committee that promotes the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel. In that case, rugby’s global governing body ruled that the move was not discriminatory.
Though Teeger was cleared by the investigation, Jewish leaders in South Africa are displeased.
“Cricket South Africa should be ashamed of itself to subject a young schoolboy to a Maoist inquisition to test his ideological purity,” South Africa’s chief rabbi, Warren Goldstein, said in a YouTube video, according to the Jewish Chronicle.
Goldstein also took aim at the Palestine Solidarity Alliance, which he accused of having ties to Hamas and Iran. He said their supporters “celebrated the killing of 1,200 Jews on Oct. 7 [and] began a hateful campaign against Cricket South Africa,” according to the Chronicle.
Goldstein also accused South African President Cyril Ramaphosa of fomenting antisemitism in the country, where the government recently voted to suspend its diplomatic ties with Israel. “Mr. President, you have set the tone for all of this because the South African government’s targeting of Israel is in effect antisemitic,” Goldstein said in the video.
Pro-Palestinian sentiment is widespread in South Africa, where Apartheid rule discriminated against non-whites for much of the second half of the 20th century. Many contemporary pro-Palestinian activists claim that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians is analogous to Apartheid South Africa.
Over 50,000 Jews live in South Africa today.
Mandy Yachad, a Jewish former cricket star who represented South Africa in international competitions, told the Chronicle he would boycott upcoming cricket events over what he called the “racist” treatment of Teeger.
“Not only will I not accept invitations to the pavilion as a former national player, but I will refuse to enter any of the grounds where the matches are being played,” Yachad said. “I love watching our teams, especially at the Wanderers and at Newlands, but not after what’s just happened.”
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Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy

Thomas Barrack at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., November 4, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
i24 News – Lebanon’s daunting social, economic and political issues would not get resolved unless the state persists in the efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy behind so much of the unrest and destruction, special US envoy Tom Barrack told The National.
“You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” he said, using the historical Arabic name for the region sometimes known as “larger Syria.”
The official stressed the need to follow through on promises to disarm the Iranian proxy, which suffered severe blows from Israel in the past year, including the elimination of its entire leadership, and is considered a weakened though still dangerous jihadist outfit.
“There are issues that we have to arm wrestle with each other over to come to a final conclusion. Remember, we have an agreement, it was a great agreement. The problem is, nobody followed it,” he told The National.
Barrack spoke on the heels of a trip to Beirut, where he proposed a diplomatic plan for the region involving the full disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese state.
The post Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a cultural forum dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Fragi, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 11, 2024. Photo: Sputnik/Alexander Scherbak/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Iranian leadership that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, the Axios website reported on Saturday. The Russian strongman also relayed the message to his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, the report said.
Iranian news agency Tasnim issued a denial, citing an “informed source” as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
Also on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that “Any negotiated solution must respect Iran’s right to enrichment. No agreement without recognizing our right to enrichment. If negotiations occur, the only topic will be the nuclear program. No other issues, especially defense or military matters, will be on the agenda.”
The post Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
i24 News – Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is attending at least one meeting with Israeli officials in Azerbaijan today, despite sources in Damascus claiming he wasn’t attending, a Syrian source close to President Al-Sharaa tells i24NEWS.
The Syrian source stated that this is a series of two or three meetings between the sides, with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also in attendance, along with Ahmed Al-Dalati, the Syrian government’s liaison for security meetings with Israel.
The high-level Israeli delegation includes a special envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as security and military figures.
The purpose of the meetings is to discuss further details of the security agreement to be signed between Israel and Syria, the Iranian threat in Syria and Lebanon, Hezbollah’s weapons, the weapons of Palestinian militias, the Palestinians camps in Lebanon, and the future of Palestinian refugees from Gaza in the region.
The possibility of opening an Israeli coordination office in Damascus, without diplomatic status, might also be discussed.
The source stated that the decision to hold the meetings in Azerbaijan, made by Israel and the US, is intended to send a message to Iran.
The post Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan first appeared on Algemeiner.com.