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Marvel’s Troubling History of Erasing Jewish Characters
Marvel Studios, which was founded by various American Jews, recently released the first trailer for Captain America: Brave New World.
Amid the excitement for the legendary Captain America saga to continue with Sam Wilson at its helm, Jewish and Israeli Marvel fans noticed something odd: Sabra, Israel’s Captain America, will be portrayed as a former Black Widow instead of the superhuman Mossad agent she was originally intended to be.
However, erasing a character’s Jewish identity is not something that is entirely new to Marvel.
Although a recent Wrap report indicates that Sabra will retain her Israeli background in the film following a backlash from fans, Marvel’s approach to dealing with Sabra highlights a complex relationship between the studio and its portrayal of Jewish characters. In short, Marvel has a history of minimizing Jewish representation in its works.
In Captain America: Brave New World, the Israeli-born Mossad super-agent Ruth Bar-Seraph, known as Sabra, has been reimagined as a Russian spy. Her powers include super strength, speed, regenerative healing, and the ability to transfer her life energy to others.
Sabra, an Israeli cactus that’s prickly on the outside and sweet on the inside, is symbolic of the Israeli mindset. This significant reinvention intentionally deprives her of her full Israeli identity and the deeply rooted Jewish trauma embedded in her story, replacing it with a more convenient narrative.
By sidestepping these crucial elements of Sabra’s heroism, Marvel chooses to sanitize complex identities rather than embracing their power. In light of the ongoing war in Gaza, this erasure is particularly painful, as Israelis and Jews worldwide continue their struggle for authentic representation in the media.
Marvel’s deliberate decision to whitewash Sabra’s identity ignores the genuine, contemporary trauma and historical persecution faced by the Jewish people. The decision underscores that the delegitimization of the Jews and their homeland cannot even be escaped on the big screen.
Marvel’s latest attempt at a Jew-free superhero lineup doesn’t begin with Sabra. It has roots in the X-Men, Avengers, and Moon Knight — all major Marvel movie standouts.
Magneto and Hydra
Magneto, born Max Eisenhardt to a Jewish family, was taken by Nazi soldiers to Auschwitz alongside his family. Surviving due to his mutant ability to control metal, he later assumes the identity of Eric Lensherr and befriends Professor Charles Xavier.
In one of the most poignant Jewish scenes in Marvel movies thus far, X-Men: First Class depicts Magneto drawing strength as he remembers lighting candles with his mother before the Nazis uprooted his life and sent his family to Auschwitz. In X-Men: Apocalypse, Magneto returns to the concentration camp and uses his powers to destroy it.
As arguably the most famous Marvel character visibly rooted in his Jewish identity, Magneto exemplifies meaningful representation.
However, he is also one of the most infamous villains in comic book history. Jews have a long history of being demonized and scapegoated, and Marvel’s choice to perpetuate this narrative rather than challenge it is troubling.
Magneto’s mutant legacy lives on in his two children; Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Wanda possesses intense telepathy and telekinesis, while Pietro can move at superspeed. In the Marvel comics, their Jewish heritage is integral to their identities. With a Romani mother and Jewish father, both Holocaust survivors, the twins are armed with a powerful legacy of resilience. Having fought both with and against the Avengers, the Maximoff twins are among the most compelling characters in the Marvel universe.
However, in X-Men: Days of Future Past, devout fans debate Wanda’s blood relation to Magneto. The fact remains that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has presented Wanda and Pietro without a religion, hailing from the fictional country of Sokovia, and devoid of any connection to their Jewish identity.
In the MCU, Wanda and Pietro’s powers result from experiments by the evil Hydra scientist, Baron von Strucker. Originally, Hydra served as the advanced technology and weaponry arm of the Nazi regime during World War II. Hydra soldiers share the fascist red and black, the straight-armed salute (performed with both arms), and an eerily familiar “heil Hydra” chant with their mainstream Nazi counterparts.
Beginning with Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel has largely downplayed Hydra’s Nazi roots, transforming it into a generic, timeless evil organization. By downplaying or outright ignoring Hydra’s origins as a Nazi faction, Marvel seeks to avoid the disturbing historical implications and instead focuses on Hydra as a broader symbol of tyranny and corruption.
This revisionist approach not only dilutes the gravity of Hydra’s origins but also conveniently sidesteps the uncomfortable reality of depicting true historical atrocities, thereby diminishing the impact of the narrative and the lessons it could impart about the dangers of fascist ideologies.
The ongoing conflict between Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. with Hydra, persisting throughout the MCU, is presented as a battle between American strength, embodied by Captain Steve Rogers, and a vague evil represented by Hydra and its endless heads, minimizing the profound impact of Nazi ideology on World War II.
Considering Marvel’s popularity among young audiences, this depiction misleads impressionable viewers into believing that World War II was merely a struggle between America and a technologically innovative bad-guy. Hydra persists throughout the MCU, threatening the forces of good in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Yet, as the technology arm of the Nazi party continues fighting, its despicable origins are conspicuously absent. If a young fan beginning their Marvel journey learned lessons about the war from these movies, they would identify a fictional Hydra, not the very real Nazis, as the primary antagonist, thereby doing a disservice to the depravity of the Third Reich.
Kitty Pryde
Kitty Pryde, another mutant in the X-Men universe with repeated movie appearances, is another revealing example of Marvel entirely revising a Jewish character’s identity to be more palatable for the big screen.
Kitty has remarkable phasing abilities, meaning she can pass through solid matter. Various websites, including fan sites and her official Marvel biography, emphasize her commitment to Judaism (see here, here, and here).
In the comics, she has been seen wearing a Star of David, reciting blessings, and drawing parallels between her experiences of being marginalized as a Jew and as a mutant. These sometimes invisible identities deeply influence her worldview.
However, Kitty appears in four X-Men feature films, and her rich cultural and religious background is consistently absent, leaving a void where her Jewish identity should be. This omission not only strips away a layer of her character’s depth but also underscores Marvel’s pattern of erasing Jewish identities to fit a more generalized narrative, thereby failing to represent the nuanced experiences of Jewish characters on the big screen.
I’m Jewish. I don’t have a quote unquote Jewish-sounding name. I don’t look or sound Jewish, whatever that looks or sounds like… So if you didn’t know I was Jewish, you might not know … unless I told you. Same goes for my mutation. I don’t have to wear a visor or have blue fur all over me. I can walk around. Just a young woman of the world. But … I’m not.
— Kitty Pryde, All-New X-Men Vol 1 13
Moon Knight
Unfortunately, Marvel’s belittling of Jewish identity endures on the small screen as well. One of the most highly anticipated TV series on Disney+ was Moon Knight, centered around the titular character, Moon Knight. In the show, Steven Grant is a goofy museum gift shop employee who struggles with dissociative personality disorder. His other identity is Marc Spector, a retired mercenary who becomes the Earthly representative of Khonsu, the Egyptian god of the moon.
Marc’s family embodies the American dream. Having fled Nazi persecution in Europe in the 1930s, Spector’s rabbi father sought a better environment to raise his Jewish family – a story many are familiar with today.
The show switches between Steven and Marc’s perspectives, but hones in on Spector in episode 5, “Asylum.” Spector is immersed in the memory of a shiva from his childhood as a means of confronting his abusive mother. In the scene, mourners can be seen wearing Jewish prayer shawls, and Spector himself is even wearing a kippah.
Given that Oscar Isaac, the non-Jewish actor playing Moon Knight, confirmed Spector’s Jewish identity would be evident in the show, there is no mention of his father’s work, his family’s history fleeing antisemitic persecution, or any significant exploration of his Jewish identity beyond surface-level nods.
This neglect strips away a layer of depth from Marc Spector’s character, reducing his heritage to mere background decoration rather than an integral part of his identity and motivation. Furthermore, it deprives Jewish fans of the same representation Marvel eagerly awards to other minority groups.
Despite its Jewish origins, Marvel continues to sanitize and diminish the Jewish identities of its characters, both on the big screen and in streaming series.
From reimagining Sabra as a Russian spy to neglecting Marc Spector’s rich Jewish heritage in Moon Knight, Marvel consistently misses opportunities to genuinely represent Jewish experiences and identities.
This pattern not only strips characters of their depth and authenticity but perpetuates a troubling erasure of Jewish culture and history as characters ascend from comics to movies. Marvel has demonstrated their commitment to representation as they bring their characters to life on the big screen, so why do they have a Jewish problem?
HonestReporting is a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
The post Marvel’s Troubling History of Erasing Jewish Characters first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Says No Interim Hostage Deal Possible Without Work Toward Permanent Ceasefire

Explosions send smoke into the air in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
The spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing said on Friday that while the Palestinian terrorist group favors reaching an interim truce in the Gaza war, if such an agreement is not reached in current negotiations it could revert to insisting on a full package deal to end the conflict.
Hamas has previously offered to release all the hostages held in Gaza and conclude a permanent ceasefire agreement, and Israel has refused, Abu Ubaida added in a televised speech.
Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day truce in the war.
Israeli officials were not immediately available for comment on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on a call he had with Pope Leo on Friday that Israel‘s efforts to secure a hostage release deal and 60-day ceasefire “have so far not been reciprocated by Hamas.”
As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release a number of detained Palestinians.
“If the enemy remains obstinate and evades this round as it has done every time before, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals or the proposal of the 10 captives,” said Abu Ubaida.
Disputes remain over maps of Israeli army withdrawals, aid delivery mechanisms into Gaza, and guarantees that any eventual truce would lead to ending the war, said two Hamas officials who spoke to Reuters on Friday.
The officials said the talks have not reached a breakthrough on the issues under discussion.
Hamas says any agreement must lead to ending the war, while Netanyahu says the war will only end once Hamas is disarmed and its leaders expelled from Gaza.
Almost 1,650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1,200 killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Over 250 hostages were kidnapped during Hamas’s Oct. 7 onslaught.
Israel responded with an ongoing military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.
The post Hamas Says No Interim Hostage Deal Possible Without Work Toward Permanent Ceasefire first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran Marks 31st Anniversary of AMIA Bombing by Slamming Argentina’s ‘Baseless’ Accusations, Blaming Israel

People hold images of the victims of the 1994 bombing attack on the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) community center, marking the 30th anniversary of the attack, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 18, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Irina Dambrauskas
Iran on Friday marked the 31st anniversary of the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires by slamming Argentina for what it called “baseless” accusations over Tehran’s alleged role in the terrorist attack and accusing Israel of politicizing the atrocity to influence the investigation and judicial process.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the anniversary of Argentina’s deadliest terrorist attack, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 300.
“While completely rejecting the accusations against Iranian citizens, the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns attempts by certain Argentine factions to pressure the judiciary into issuing baseless charges and politically motivated rulings,” the statement read.
“Reaffirming that the charges against its citizens are unfounded, the Islamic Republic of Iran insists on restoring their reputation and calls for an end to this staged legal proceeding,” it continued.
Last month, a federal judge in Argentina ordered the trial in absentia of 10 Iranian and Lebanese nationals suspected of orchestrating the attack in Buenos Aires.
The ten suspects set to stand trial include former Iranian and Lebanese ministers and diplomats, all of whom are subject to international arrest warrants issued by Argentina for their alleged roles in the terrorist attack.
In its statement on Friday, Iran also accused Israel of influencing the investigation to advance a political campaign against the Islamist regime in Tehran, claiming the case has been used to serve Israeli interests and hinder efforts to uncover the truth.
“From the outset, elements and entities linked to the Zionist regime [Israel] exploited this suspicious explosion, pushing the investigation down a false and misleading path, among whose consequences was to disrupt the long‑standing relations between the people of Iran and Argentina,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
“Clear, undeniable evidence now shows the Zionist regime and its affiliates exerting influence on the Argentine judiciary to frame Iranian nationals,” the statement continued.
In April, lead prosecutor Sebastián Basso — who took over the case after the 2015 murder of his predecessor, Alberto Nisman — requested that federal Judge Daniel Rafecas issue national and international arrest warrants for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over his alleged involvement in the attack.
Since 2006, Argentine authorities have sought the arrest of eight Iranians — including former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died in 2017 — yet more than three decades after the deadly bombing, all suspects remain still at large.
In a post on X, the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations (DAIA), the country’s Jewish umbrella organization, released a statement commemorating the 31st anniversary of the bombing.
“It was a brutal attack on Argentina, its democracy, and its rule of law,” the group said. “At DAIA, we continue to demand truth and justice — because impunity is painful, and memory is a commitment to both the present and the future.”
31 años del atentado a la AMIA – DAIA. 31 años sin justicia.
El 18 de julio de 1994, un atentado terrorista dejó 85 personas muertas y más de 300 heridas. Fue un ataque brutal contra la Argentina, su democracia y su Estado de derecho.
Desde la DAIA, seguimos exigiendo verdad y… pic.twitter.com/kV2ReGNTIk
— DAIA (@DAIAArgentina) July 18, 2025
Despite Argentina’s longstanding belief that Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah terrorist group carried out the devastating attack at Iran’s request, the 1994 bombing has never been claimed or officially solved.
Meanwhile, Tehran has consistently denied any involvement and refused to arrest or extradite any suspects.
To this day, the decades-long investigation into the terrorist attack has been plagued by allegations of witness tampering, evidence manipulation, cover-ups, and annulled trials.
In 2006, former prosecutor Nisman formally charged Iran for orchestrating the attack and Hezbollah for carrying it out.
Nine years later, he accused former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner — currently under house arrest on corruption charges — of attempting to cover up the crime and block efforts to extradite the suspects behind the AMIA atrocity in return for Iranian oil.
Nisman was killed later that year, and to this day, both his case and murder remain unresolved and under ongoing investigation.
The alleged cover-up was reportedly formalized through the memorandum of understanding signed in 2013 between Kirchner’s government and Iranian authorities, with the stated goal of cooperating to investigate the AMIA bombing.
The post Iran Marks 31st Anniversary of AMIA Bombing by Slamming Argentina’s ‘Baseless’ Accusations, Blaming Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Jordan Reveals Muslim Brotherhood Operating Vast Illegal Funding Network Tied to Gaza Donations, Political Campaigns

Murad Adailah, the head of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, attends an interview with Reuters in Amman, Jordan, Sept. 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
The Muslim Brotherhood, one of the Arab world’s oldest and most influential Islamist movements, has been implicated in a wide-ranging network of illegal financial activities in Jordan and abroad, according to a new investigative report.
Investigations conducted by Jordanian authorities — along with evidence gathered from seized materials — revealed that the Muslim Brotherhood raised tens of millions of Jordanian dinars through various illegal activities, the Jordan news agency (Petra) reported this week.
With operations intensifying over the past eight years, the report showed that the group’s complex financial network was funded through various sources, including illegal donations, profits from investments in Jordan and abroad, and monthly fees paid by members inside and outside the country.
The report also indicated that the Muslim Brotherhood has taken advantage of the war in Gaza to raise donations illegally.
Out of all donations meant for Gaza, the group provided no information on where the funds came from, how much was collected, or how they were distributed, and failed to work with any international or relief organizations to manage the transfers properly.
Rather, the investigations revealed that the Islamist network used illicit financial mechanisms to transfer funds abroad.
According to Jordanian authorities, the group gathered more than JD 30 million (around $42 million) over recent years.
With funds transferred to several Arab, regional, and foreign countries, part of the money was allegedly used to finance domestic political campaigns in 2024, as well as illegal activities and cells.
In April, Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most vocal opposition group, and confiscated its assets after members of the Islamist movement were found to be linked to a sabotage plot.
The movement’s political arm in Jordan, the Islamic Action Front, became the largest political grouping in parliament after elections last September, although most seats are still held by supporters of the government.
Opponents of the group, which is banned in most Arab countries, label it a terrorist organization. However, the movement claims it renounced violence decades ago and now promotes its Islamist agenda through peaceful means.
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