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Iranian-Jewish former state senator files to run against George Santos
(New York Jewish Week) – George Santos, the self-proclaimed “Jew-ish” Republican congressman who has spread a series of falsehoods about his background, now has at least one actual Jewish challenger: Anna Kaplan, an Iranian-American former Democratic state senator from Santos’ New York district.
Kaplan filed paperwork yesterday to run for Congress against Santos, who was elected last year and whose district covers parts of Queens and Long Island.
Kaplan, 57, was the first Iranian-American elected to New York’s state senate, and served from 2019-2022, representing the seventh district, which covers part of Long Island’s north shore. She lost her reelection campaign last fall to Republican Jack Martins, in what became a GOP sweep of Long Island.
During her tenure, she championed issues of concern to Jewish voters, including in her efforts to pass a long-stalled bill that authorizes the state to survey whether and how school districts are teaching about the Holocaust. Kaplan was a 2022 honoree of the New York Jewish Week’s “36 to Watch.”
“As a Jewish political refugee who has fought tirelessly for the memory of the Holocaust to be preserved and honored, I’ve been outraged and disgusted by the insane lies that George Santos has told to our community,” she said in a statement in January to Jewish Insider. “I’m heartbroken that our community won’t have true representation as long as he’s occupying our seat in Washington.”
Born in Tabriz, Iran in 1965, Kaplan came to the United States alone at age 13, fleeing Iran’s Islamic Revolution. She lived briefly in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and then Chicago, Illinois with a foster family, before reuniting with her family in Queens. She went on to earn an undergraduate degree from Yeshiva University’s Stern College and to graduate from the university’s Cardozo School of Law.
If she secures the nomination, she may face Santos, a freshman Republican congressman who has drawn national attention for allegedly embellishing and falsifying large parts of his biography, including that he has Jewish heritage and family members who survived the Holocaust.
Despite Santos’ claims, a number of media outlets, including JTA, have uncovered evidence that he has no Jewish ancestry. More recently, Santos has said that his repeated claims of being Jewish were a “party favor joke.”
In January, the Nassau County Republican Committee called on Santos to resign. He has refused, and filed to run for reelection in April. The committee has reportedly considered replacements for Santos, including Martins and Mazi Melesa Pilip, an Ethiopian Jew of color who currently serves in the Nassau County legislature.
Gothamist reported that three other candidates have also filed to run against Santos in next year’s elections, though so far, Kaplan is the only one with prior experience as an elected official.
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The post Iranian-Jewish former state senator files to run against George Santos appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Some Tankers Cross Strait of Hormuz Before Shots Fired, Ship-Tracking Data Shows
A satellite image shows the ship movement at the Strait of Hormuz on April 17, 2026, in Space. EUROPEAN UNION/COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2/Handout via REUTERS
More than a dozen tankers, including three sanctioned vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after a 50-day blockade was lifted on Friday, shipping data showed, before Iran reimposed restrictions on Saturday and fired at some vessels.
Reopening the strait is key for Gulf producers to resume full oil and gas supplies to the world, and end what the International Energy Agency has called the worst-ever supply disruption.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday Iran had agreed to open the strait, while Iranian officials said they wanted the US to fully lift its blockade of Iranian tankers.
Western shipping companies cautiously welcomed the announcements but said more clarity was needed, including on the presence of sea mines, before their vessels could transit.
IRAN RESUMES RESTRICTIONS
The ships that passed through the strait on Friday and Saturday via Iranian waters south of Larak island were mainly older, non-Western-owned vessels and included four sanctioned ships, according to ship-tracking data.
Iran arranged passage for a limited number of oil tankers and commercial ships following prior agreements in negotiations, a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.
Other ships have been seen approaching the strait and turning back as Iran said it would maintain strict controls as long as the US continues its blockade of Iranian ports.
The UK Navy reported on Saturday that Iranian gunboats fired at some ships attempting to cross the strait.
Some merchant vessels received radio messages from Iran’s navy saying the strait was shut again and that no ships were allowed to pass, shipping sources said on Saturday.
Ship-tracking data showed five vessels loaded with liquefied natural gas from Ras Laffan in Qatar approaching the strait on Saturday morning.
No LNG cargoes have transited the waterway since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28.
Hundreds of ships have been stuck in the Gulf since the conflict started and Tehran closed the strait, forcing Gulf oil and gas producers to sharply cut production.
Top producers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq and Kuwait say they need steady tanker flows and unrestricted passage through the strait to resume normal export operations.
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Trump Greenlights Russian Oil to Ease Strain on Global Markets After War with Iran
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington, DC, US, March 27, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
i24 News – The Trump administration has authorized a 30-day emergency waiver allowing the maritime purchase of Russian oil, reversing a hardline stance in an effort to stabilize skyrocketing global energy prices.
The Treasury Department announced Friday that the license for crude and petroleum products will remain in effect until May 16, 2026, responding to intense pressure from international partners struggling with the fallout of the war with Iran.
This policy pivot comes as a surprise after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested earlier this week that no further exemptions would be granted:
“As negotiations with Iran accelerate, the administration seeks to ensure oil availability for those who need it most. We must prevent a total price collapse for consumers while the geopolitical situation remains volatile.”
Ensuring global oil availability is paramount for the US as over 80 energy facilities in the Middle East have been damaged by recent war with Iran. With the November midterm elections approaching, record-high fuel prices at the pump remain a primary vulnerability for the Republican party. By allowing Russian oil back into the maritime flow, the administration hopes to neutralize “pain at the pump” before voters head to the polls.
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UK: Islamist Group Claims to Attack Israeli Embassy with ‘Drones Carrying Radioactive, Carcinogenic Materials’
A UK man has been arrested for allegedly threatening a group of Jews while wielding an ax on Rosh Hashanah. Photo: Tony Webster / Wikimedia Commons.
i24 News – British police officers in protective clothing were seen investigating a “security incident” near the Israeli embassy in London on Friday, after a jihadist group put out a video showing it launching two drones allegedly carrying radioactive and carcinogenic materials toward the embassy.
“There is an increased police presence in Kensington Gardens and officers are assessing a number of discarded items. As a precaution, some of the officers who have been deployed are wearing protective clothing. We recognize this may concern local residents and the wider public,” police said in a statement.
“Counter Terrorism Policing London are aware of a video shared online overnight in which a group claims to have targeted the nearby embassy of Israel with drones carrying dangerous substances,” the statement further read. “While we can confirm that the embassy has not been attacked, we are carrying out urgent inquiries to determine the authenticity of the video and to identify any potential link between it and the items discarded in Kensington Gardens.”
The incident comes amid a steep hike in antisemitic attacks in Britain targeting Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions.
The group that released the video was identified as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, a shadowy entity with suspected ties to Iran. It has already claimed seven attacks against Jewish institutions, including an arson attack in London where four ambulances owned by the Hatzolah charity were torched.