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Jewish Infighting Is Having Real and Negative Consequences in Today’s World
Members of the United Nations Security Council meet on the day of a vote on a Gaza resolution, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, March 25, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
We are in the middle of the nine days preceding Tisha B’Av, a precarious time for Jews. One important warning during the nine days is not to engage in baseless hatred among Jews that led — or at least made a major contribution to — the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Unfortunately, we are doing the opposite, and infighting in the Jewish community is rampant. It is right against left and left against right, Zionists against anti-Zionist, Reform rabbis against Orthodox rabbis, haredim vs. the rest of Israel, etc.
Right now, Jews worldwide — and especially Israel — are under attack. Many in the European Union and UK want to impose sanctions on Israel over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. These moves are easier for Europeans to plan when they sense infighting in Israel and among Jewish organizations. Antisemitic and pro-Palestinian groups are very astute in taking advantage of discord among us, and it is causing real harm on the ground.
Contradictory news is coming out of Gaza about who is stealing food, not delivering aid, and starving people. Many US and European media outlets go into detailed descriptions of inhumane treatment of Gazans by Israel. Does anybody mention the hostages suffering in Hamas tunnels who have not received real food since October 7 — along with no medical care? And who is talking about the problems with the aid being delivered by the UN or stolen by Hamas?
Yes, it is troubling to see the photos coming from Gaza — and Israel is responding by increasing the amount of aid and access to it. Is this going to be appreciated or acknowledged? It’s highly unlikely.
The accusations made by the UN about famine in Gaza a few months ago were retracted later by UN officials themselves. Whether that will happen again this time, we do not know. And yes, we don’t want civilians to starve. But why isn’t it also reported that Hamas started the war, and gives food to its fighters but not to the population?
Does anybody realize that the EU and UN encourage Hamas in sabotaging hostage release talks and imposing more demands and conditions to seal the so-called deal when all they do is amplify this coverage?
This week, I read a statement by Khalil al-Hayya, one of the exiled chiefs of Gaza, that “ceasefire negotiations were meaningless under continuing blockade and starvation.” The irony of this statement cannot be missed, but it is ignored by Western sources. Don’t European governments, and various Jewish groups, organizations, and prominent personalities, realize that they should press Hamas (and Qatar) to reciprocate Israeli increased humanitarian aid with pressure for an unconditional release of the hostages ?
By the way, I wonder how many people demonizing Israel know about the IDF protecting the Syrian Druze population from assaults and massacres by the new Syrian regime — or are paying attention to more acute crises involving food insecurity across the world, like what is happening in Sudan.
Dr. Jaroslava Halper has been a professor of pathology at The University of Georgia in Athens, GA for many years. She escaped from communist Prague because of antisemitism, and lack of freedom and free speech. The gradual increase of antisemitism and anti-Zionism in certain circles in her second homeland, and the devastating October 7 massacre by Hamas, led her to realize that more active engagement is necessary to combat antisemitism, including anti-Zionism.
The post Jewish Infighting Is Having Real and Negative Consequences in Today’s World first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Tensions Among US Middle East Allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media, before departing for Israel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the terrorists and end the Gaza war.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them. We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” he said.
“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”
Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.
On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.
Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.
Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.
ON Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.
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Netanyahu Posts Message Appearing to Confirm Hamas Leaders Survived Doha Strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – In a statement posted to social media on Saturday evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Qatar-based leadership of Hamas, reiterating that the jihadist group had to regard for the lives of Gazans and represented an obstacle to ending the war and releasing the Israelis it held hostage.
The wording of Netanyahu’s message appeared to confirm that the strike targeting the Hamas leaders in Doha was not crowned with success.
“The Hamas terrorists chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” wrote Netanyahu. “They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war.” He added that “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”
Israel is yet to officially comment on the result of the strike, which has incurred widespread international criticism.
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Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister After Israeli Attack in Doha
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US President Donald Trump held dinner with the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.
Trump expressed annoyance about the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were joined by a top Trump adviser, US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, said on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but offered no details.
The session followed an hour-long meeting that al-Thani had at the White House on Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source briefed on the meeting said they discussed Qatar’s future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of the Israeli strikes against Hamas in Doha.
Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.