Pro-Palestinian protesters are detained by NYPD after taking part in a demonstration at Butler Library on the Columbia University campus in New York, US, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dana Edwards

The New York City Police Department will increase its presence at “critical” locations around the city ahead of the upcoming Jewish high holidays, 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the United Nations General Assembly, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced on Tuesday.

Tisch said at a news conference that reports of threats “typically increase” during this time surrounding the 9/11 anniversary, the UN General Assembly, and major Jewish holidays. She noted that authorities are monitoring threats against New York City’s “critical infrastructure,” including bridges and tunnels connecting Queens and Manhattan.

“As always, we take all threats seriously and we are working with our federal partners through our Joint Terrorism Task Force while we investigate,” Tisch said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are surging resources and you can expect to see an increase in police presence at critical infrastructure locations.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams added in a post on X: “As we do every year around this time, we’re closely monitoring for any potential threats to NYC infrastructure. The NYPD, in coordination with federal partners, is taking all threats seriously and has enhanced security at key locations. You can be confident that New York City remains safe and well protected.”

The 80th session of the UN General Assembly opens on Sept. 9 and will end on the 28th. The holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year begins on the evening of Sept. 22, followed by Yom Kippur and Sukkot, other major Jewish holidays, which are both in early October.

Containers are seen in the Port of Vigo, Spain, March 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nacho Doce

A US State Department spokesperson expressed concern on Wednesday over Spain’s measures limiting access to Spanish ports and airspace to ships and planes carrying weapons for Israel.

“It is deeply concerning that Spain, a NATO member, has chosen to potentially limit US operations and to turn its back on Israel on the same day six individuals were killed in Jerusalem. These measures embolden terrorists,” the spokesperson said in an email sent to Reuters on Wednesday.

The US operates two military bases in southern Spain, in Moron, and on the southern coast Atlantic coast in Rota.

The office of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Spain’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On top of its ban on ships and aircraft delivering weapons or military-grade jet fuel to Israel, Madrid said it would not allow anyone who has participated directly in “genocide” in Gaza to enter Spain.

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares later said the ban would extend to Israel‘s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Israel has strongly denied that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide, and is fighting a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague over accusations of genocide.

In reaction to Sanchez’s announcement on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused the Spanish leader of “antisemitism” and attempting to divert attention from domestic corruption scandals.

He also announced a ban on Sanchez’s deputy, Yolanda Diaz, and Youth Minister Sira Rego entering Israel. Both belong to hard-left party Sumar, the junior partner in Sanchez’s coalition government.

As the diplomatic row escalated, Spain summoned its ambassador in Israel back for consultations late on Monday.

Director Scarlett Johansson poses during a photocall for the film “Eleanor the Great” in competition for the category Un Certain Regard at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 21, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Scarlett Johansson cast real Holocaust survivors in her directorial debut “Eleanor the Great” with help from the USC Shoah Foundation and a fellow Jewish actress, the filmmaker told People magazine at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sunday.

Written by Tory Kamen, “Eleanor the Great” stars Academy Award nominee June Squibb as the title character. Squibb plays 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein, who moves to New York following the devastating loss of her best friend and develops a friendship with a journalism student after telling a lie that takes over her life. The film premiered at TIFF on Monday following its world premiere in May at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received a five-minute standing ovation. “Eleanor the Great” also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Erin Kellyman, Israeli actress and real-life Holocaust survivor Rita Zohar, and other survivors of World War II.

“It wasn’t really ever a question of whether we would cast real [Holocaust] survivors. It was more of how can we identify people that would want to participate, could participate,” Johansson, 40, told People magazine at TIFF. “So, we got really lucky. Every time we would find someone who could participate, it was like, ‘Yes, we got another survivor.’”

Johansson noted that actress Jessica Hecht, who is Jewish and stars in the film as Squibb’s daughter, as well as the Shoah Foundation were both very helpful in finding Holocaust survivors to participate in the film. Founded by Jewish visionary filmmaker Steven Spielberg 1994, the goal of the Shoah Foundation is to record, preserve, and share the testimonies of Holocaust survivors.

Johansson said the Holocaust survivors she interacted with during the filming of “Eleanor the Great” were very eager to “share their stories.” She jokingly added that they were also “pretty excited about catering.”

“I have to say that the whole group was so patient,” the star of “Jurassic World Rebirth” told People. “I don’t think anybody in the group had really done a film like that before … They really were just engaged and listening.”

Johansson also told the magazine she felt a personal connection to the script for “Eleanor the Great”  because of the Jewish identity that was weaved into the storyline. Johansson’s maternal family is Jewish, with roots in Eastern Europe. She discovered in 2017 that she had relatives who died in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust.

“Eleanor the Great” will be released in theaters Sept. 26. Watch the trailer below.