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Lone Soldiers
Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, attends a meeting with people at a hall on the seashore in Gaza City.
JNS.org – “Israel Alone” was the headline on the cover of the March 23 issue of The Economist, the British weekly. The illustration shows an Israeli flag buffeted by a sandstorm.
I wonder if Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, is sitting in a tunnel under Rafah gazing at that image, and if it’s brought a smile to his lips.
Perhaps, when he was planning the Oct. 7 invasion of Israel, one of his deputies advised that their fighters target only soldiers and spare Israeli civilians, at least children and babies; that they not rape women and mutilate corpses; that they conduct themselves, in short, as honorable warriors rather than barbarians.
And perhaps Sinwar replied: “No. The United Nations, the Red Cross, most diplomats and much of the media will support us—no matter what we do.
“When the Israelis counterattack, we will hide underground, shielded by hostages. Above us, the body count will mount. There will soon be demands for a ‘ceasefire.’ We’re fighting Jews—support for them will not last long.”
Indeed, less than two weeks after Hamas’s invasion, Brazil put a ceasefire resolution before the U.N. Security Council. The Biden administration vetoed it, explaining that it would “leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on Oct. 7.”
A second resolution was proposed by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres himself in December. Again, the United States vetoed it.
A third resolution came from Algeria in February. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said it would extend “the fighting between Hamas and Israel,” “the hostages’ time in captivity” and “the dire humanitarian crisis Palestinians are facing in Gaza.” She vetoed it.
Last Friday, Washington offered its own resolution, calling for “diplomatic efforts” to secure a ceasefire “in connection with the release of all remaining hostages”—134, with roughly 100 believed still alive, including five Americans. It also condemned Houthi attacks on shipping.
That language was tough enough on Israel to win 11 of Security Council’s 15 votes. But Moscow and Beijing vetoed it, for which Hamas expressed its “appreciation.”
No doubt Iran’s rulers were appreciative, too. Hamas is their client, as are the Houthis. And Tehran, whose intentions toward Israel are openly genocidal, has become Moscow and Beijing’s strategic partner in a strengthening anti-American axis.
Another resolution, backed by Moscow, Beijing and 22 Arab countries, was put forward on Monday. It called for a ceasefire until April 9, the end of Ramadan, “leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire,” and the release of the hostages.
But it didn’t make the ceasefire contingent on the hostages’ release. Nor did it condemn Hamas. Indeed, it didn’t even mention Hamas or the Oct. 7 massacre. This time, the United States abstained, allowing the resolution’s passage—which Hamas welcomed.
I expect that, following the conclusion of Ramadan, the hostages will still be in chains and the Israel Defense Forces will proceed with what could be the last major battle of the war.
President Biden has said Hamas shouldn’t be left with a “safe haven anywhere in the Gaza Strip.” But he’s also said he doesn’t believe achieving that requires a “major ground operation.”
“The key goals Israel wants to achieve in Rafah can be done by other means,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan asserted last week, without elaboration. Military experts I’ve spoken with are skeptical.
The Israel Defense Forces estimates that there are up to 8,000 Hamas fighters in Rafah. In addition to defeating them, the Israelis need to shut the tunnels between Gaza and Egypt through which Tehran supplies Hamas with an enormous quantity of weapons and ammunition.
The Israelis have agreed to provide “humanitarian enclaves” for non-combatants away from the battlegrounds.
Of course, if Sinwar were to release his hostages and lay down his arms, no one else would be killed. That needs to be said repeatedly and emphatically.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the U.S. abstention a “retreat” that suggests moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel. He canceled a visit of Israeli officials to Washington, where Sullivan and his colleagues were to suggest specific “other means” that could lead to Hamas’s defeat with fewer non-combatant casualties.
In the final analysis, Israelis are unlikely to be persuaded to let Sinwar emerge from the tunnels, one hand holding a weapon, the other flashing a V sign.
Perhaps he’d then whisper to his deputy: “Now do you understand? We don’t obey the infidels’ rules. We make the Jews bleed, and then the infidels obey our rules.”
There’s one flaw in this reasoning. In 1967, when all the Arab states surrounding Israel were mounting what they expected would be an annihilationist war, President Lyndon Johnson told the Israelis to hold their fire. Rejecting that advice, the Israelis fought and won what became known as the Six-Day War.
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan advised the Israelis not to bomb a nuclear reactor in Iraq, and in 2007, President George W. Bush advised the Israelis not to bomb a nuclear reactor in Syria. In those instances, too, the Israelis did what was necessary—as anyone with a shred of strategic sense now knows.
“Better to stand alone than to live at the mercy of others,” Rachel Gur, an Israeli attorney—and, more importantly, a mother of four—noted above an image of The Economist’s cover appearing on X last week.
“We are the first Jews in 2,000 years who refuse to die quietly. We will continue to stand, to prosper and thrive. We have survived exile, the inquisition, crusades, pogroms and the Holocaust. We will prevail.”
If Sinwar saw her comment on his laptop in the tunnels beneath Rafah last week, I don’t imagine it brought a smile to his lips.
The post Lone Soldiers first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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World’s Jewish Communities Condemn Antisemitic Shooting Outside DC Museum, Urge Swift Action Amid Rising Threats
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim who were shot and killed as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, pose for a picture at an unknown location, in this handout image released by Embassy of Israel to the US on May 22, 2025. Photo: Embassy of Israel to the USA via X/Handout via REUTERS
Jewish communities worldwide have strongly condemned the antisemitic shooting in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night, calling for stronger government action as fears mount over a potential rise in violence following the deadly assault on two Israeli embassy staffers in the US capital.
The victims were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in downtown Washington while leaving an event for young professionals and diplomatic staff hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, chanted “Free Palestine, Free Palestine” after being taken into custody. He also reportedly said, “I did it for Gaza.”
Leading Jewish groups and figures around the world quickly decried the act of violence, expressing alarm about the global surge in antisemitism and noting the connection between anti-Israel animus and antisemitic hate crimes.
In France, the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions (CRIF) condemned the shooting, calling it a “hateful crime” and emphasizing that “no political cause can ever legitimize antisemitism.”
“Make no mistake: targeting a Jewish museum and murdering two people while shouting ‘Free Palestine’ is not an act of solidarity — it is a hateful crime, a continuation of the antisemitic violence seen on Oct. 7, now echoed on other shores,” Yonathan Arfi, president of the CRIF, wrote in a statement on X, referring to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel. Antisemitic incidents have spiked worldwide in the aftermath of the onslaught, the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
“What happened in Washington is a grim reminder that hatred of Jews, disguised as anti-Israel sentiment, is a global menace that knows no borders,” Arfi continued.
Sadness and outrage after the attack carried out last night in Washington
Make no mistake: targeting a Jewish museum and murdering two people while shouting “Free Palestine” is not an act of solidarity—it is a hateful crime, a continuation of the antisemitic violence seen on… https://t.co/cUrVqLE4dK
— CRIF (@Le_CRIF) May 22, 2025
According to local authorities, the victims were Yaron Lischinsky, a 30-year-old research assistant in the political department at the Israeli embassy in Washington, and Sarah Milgrim, a 26-year-old embassy staffer who organized trips to Israel. The young couple was soon to be engaged.
Ted Deutch, CEO of the AJC, denounced the attack, saying the organization stands with the victims’ families and the broader Jewish community as they grieve the tragic loss.
“These are the worst fears of the Jewish community coming true. This was an act of pure evil, and what it did was send shockwaves through the Jewish community around the world,” Deutch said during an interview on Fox News.
“These are the worst fears of the Jewish community coming true. This was an act of pure evil, & what it did was send shockwaves through the Jewish community around the world.”
On @foxandfriends I explained how Jews are feeling about the violence that took place outside an… pic.twitter.com/PkXvucVB9k
— Ted Deutch, CEO of American Jewish Committee (@AJCCEO) May 22, 2025
Amid a sharp rise in antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crimes since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 invasion of Israel, the shooting on Wednesday night has ignited widespread condemnation from leaders and Jewish communities worldwide, while intensifying fears of further attacks.
In the UK, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Community Security Trust (CST) — the latter of which is a nonprofit charity that advises Britain’s Jewish community on security matters — also denounced the attack, calling for the suspect to face “the full force of the law.”
“This kind of terrorism is a global threat to all Jewish communities that has risen significantly since Oct. 7, and it is the reason why there is so much security across the Jewish community in the UK,” CST wrote in a statement on X.
CST condemns the terrorist murder of two Israel Embassy staff outside the Jewish Museum in Washington DC. Our thoughts are with their family and colleagues at this awful time. This kind of terrorism is a global threat to all Jewish communities that has risen significantly since 7… pic.twitter.com/Qo2VNe33ka
— CST (@CST_UK) May 22, 2025
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced heightened security at Israeli embassies worldwide as a preventive measure following the deadly attack on US soil.
“We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and the wild incitement against the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “The blood libels against Israel are costing us blood and must be fought relentlessly.”
“My heart aches with the families of the young couple, whose lives were cut short by a despicable antisemitic murderer,” the Israeli leader continued. “I have ordered security arrangements to be boosted in Israeli diplomatic missions around the world and around representatives of the state.”
In a statement on X, Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), denounced the attack as “a devastating reminder that the danger facing Jewish communities is not history.”
Lauder called on US President Donald Trump and global leaders to act swiftly to bolster security at Jewish institutions around the world.
“Though this brazen act of violence occurred on American soil, its message was meant to cause Jews everywhere to tremble with fear,” he wrote. “But let there be no mistake — this act of terror will not drive us into the shadows. We will not hide our faces or our symbols. We will live openly and proudly, as a courageous people.”
Last night’s attack outside the Jewish Museum, which claimed the lives of Yaron Lishinsky z’’l and Sarah Milgram z’’l, is a devastating reminder that the danger facing Jewish communities is not history—it is real and everpresent.
These were two individuals who dedicated their…
— Ronald S. Lauder (@lauder_ronald) May 22, 2025
In Argentina, the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations (DAIA) voiced strong condemnation of the attack and stood in solidarity with the victims’ families, while warning about “the alarming rise in antisemitic acts fueled by fierce demonization and delegitimization of the State of Israel.”
In a show of support, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) also condemned the “cold-blooded crime,” emphasizing that it was “premeditated and did not happen in a vacuum.”
“This attack underscores the ongoing vulnerability of Jewish communities around the world,” the statement read. “Antisemitism across the world has increased, including in South Africa, where we are seeing more attacks on our community members, including physical assault.”
The post World’s Jewish Communities Condemn Antisemitic Shooting Outside DC Museum, Urge Swift Action Amid Rising Threats first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Pope Leo XIV’s First Message to Jewish Community Was ‘Extraordinary,’ American Rabbi Says
Pope Leo XIV holds an audience with representatives of the media in Paul VI hall at the Vatican, May 12, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee (AJC), spoke with The Algemeiner this week about being among a number of faith leaders to meet with newly elected Pope Leo XIV, and why he has optimism for Catholic-Jewish relations.
“In his remarks [to a couple hundred faith leaders this month], he [Leo] had a few minutes directly speaking to the Jewish people. And those words were extremely important at a time of challenge in Catholic-Jewish relations,” Marans said. “His remarks to the Jewish people have actually been extraordinary.”
Leo — who was elected to become the next bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church earlier this month following the death of Pope Francis in late April, becoming the first American to hold the position — reportedly said, “Even in these difficult times, marked by conflicts and misunderstandings, it is necessary to continue the momentum of this precious dialogue of ours.”
“This is an extraordinary sentence to be saying on his first message to the Jewish people,” Marans explained. “I mean, he’s referring to now, not the history of the relationship. Why is this important? Because the pope is demonstrating, is recognizing that there have been challenges in recent months. During the waning days of Pope Francis’ tenure.”
Francis, Leo’s predecessor, had become an increasingly vocal critic of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza in the months before his death.
During his pontificate, Francis strongly condemned antisemitism and promoted interfaith dialogue between Jewish and Catholic communities. However, he also drew the ire of pro-Israel supporters and Jewish leaders, including the chief rabbi of Rome, for his sharp words against the Jewish state.
This is not the first time in Leo’s new role that he has reached out to the Jewish community. On May 8, he sent a letter to Marans that emphasized his commitment to strengthening the Catholic Church’s “dialogue and cooperation” with the world’s Jewish communities.
“Trusting in the assistance of the Almighty, I pledge to continue and strengthen the Church’s dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate,” he wrote.
The Nostra Aetate was a declaration from the Second Vatican Council and promulgated in 1965 by Pope Paul VI that called for dialogue and respect between Christianity and other religions.
“I left that meeting and my entire visit here with optimism. But since I’m a Jewish leader, I tend towards guarded optimism,” Marans said of his meeting with Leo.
In some ways, Marans continued, he expects Leo to be a continuation of Francis. “That means that he will be condemning antisemitism. Using his bully pulpit in a very productive way. The way that Francis did. Describing it as sin against God and un-Christian.”
However, despite the fact that he expects there also to be criticism of Israel, Marans said that he thinks “it will probably be delivered less extemporaneously and more diplomatically” than it was by Francis.
In his first Sunday blessing, Leo took time to comment on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. He called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages that the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas took during its Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel.
“I am deeply saddened by what is happening in Gaza,” Leo said. “May a ceasefire immediately come into effect … Let humanitarian aid be given to the exhausted civilian population, and let all hostages be freed.”
And in a post on X on Wednesday, Leo wrote, “The situation in the Gaza Strip is increasingly worrying and painful. I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entry of dignified humanitarian aid and to bring an end to the hostilities, whose heart-rending price is borne by children, the elderly, and the sick.”
When asked what particularly stuck out to him about the meeting with Leo, Marans said that “the letter to me, and in the speech, he reaffirmed his commitment to Nostra Aetate. And that is the central pillar. The rest is commentary.”
He continued, explaining, “It was a warm environment,” and that “He was very welcoming of the Jewish community. We sense that he understands the relationship that he’s prioritizing.”
Underscoring the strong Jewish-Catholic relationship, Marans said, “Imagine a world in which we’re dealing with the pain of antisemitism that we’ve had in Europe for many years, and now in America, and not having people like Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archbishop of New York speaking out all the time. Not having the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops working with us on an amazing project … to work together collaboratively to counter antisemitism.”
Having the strong relationship that the two communities have today, despite the challenges, Marans said, would be “unimaginable 15 years ago, let alone 100 years ago.”
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Irish Rap Group Kneecap Vows to Fight Terrorism Charge Over Band Member’s Alleged Hezbollah Support
Members of Kneecap pose on the red carpet at the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
A member of Irish hip hop trio Kneecap has been charged with a terrorism offense in the United Kingdom for displaying a flag in support of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday.
Liam O’Hanna, 27, of Belfast has been charged with displaying a flag “in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organization” following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command.
The charge is related to a flag that O’Hanna displayed during a Kneecap concert in November 2024 at the O2 Forum in London. The Metropolitan Police said the musician displayed the flag “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organization, namely Hezbollah,” in violation of the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000.
“Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command were made aware on Tuesday, April 22 of an online video from the event. An investigation was carried out, which led to the Crown Prosecution Service authorizing the above charge,” police said in a statement. O’Hanna is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18.
Kneecap said in a statement on X they believe the terrorism charge is an effort “to prosecute artists who dare speak out.” The trio claimed O’Hanna displayed a flag that had been thrown on stage, and did not mention Hezbollah by name even once in their lengthy statement.
“We deny this ‘offense’ and will vehemently defend ourselves,” Kneecap said. “This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is. … We are on the right side of history. You are not. We will fight you in court. We will win. Free Palestine.”
In their statement, the group also condemned the British government for supporting Israel and claimed British leaders “have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries.”
“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists,” they claimed.
The Algemeiner previously reported that counter-terrorism police in the UK were investigating the band from Northern Ireland after videos emerged online that showed a Kneecap member shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” while having a Hezbollah flag draped over his shoulder during the 2024 concert in London. Hezbollah and Hamas are designated by the UK as terrorist organizations, and it is illegal in the country to express support for the two Iran-backed Islamist groups.
Counter-terrorism police were also investigating footage from a 2023 Kneecap concert in which a band member called for the killing of British Members of Parliament [MPs]. A Kneecap member had shouted on stage: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” Two British MPs, Jo Cox and David Amess, have been murdered in the last 10 years.
In April, Kneecap apologized to the families of Cox and Amess in a released statement and said they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah. The trio claimed videos from their concerts in 2023 and 2024 have been “deliberately taken out of all context” as part of a “smear campaign” against the group because of its criticism of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. Kneecap has been publicly critical of Israel on social media and on stage during their concerts.
During the band’s set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, Kneecap projected on the backdrop of their stage messages that said “F–k Israel, Free Palestine” and “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.” They also led the crowd at Coachella to chant “Free, Free Palestine.”
A number of their scheduled performances at music festivals this summer have been canceled by organizers because of the band’s controversial comments. Organizers of the Glastonbury Festival scheduled for June are also facing increasing pressure from British politicians and members of the entertainment industry to remove Kneecap from its lineup of performers. The UK’s Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said on Monday he thinks the UK and Irish governments should “consider their actions” in relation to providing any funding to Kneecap.
The post Irish Rap Group Kneecap Vows to Fight Terrorism Charge Over Band Member’s Alleged Hezbollah Support first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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