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South African Chief Rabbi Slams Government’s Support for Iran as Middle East Conflict Escalates
Chief Rabbi of South Africa Warren Goldstein. Photo: Screenshot
South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein has lambasted the government for defending Iran and downplaying threats to Israel — part of what the country’s Jewish community has long denounced as an increasingly hostile stance toward the Jewish state.
“It’s disgraceful … but, not unexpected, that the South African government came to Iran’s defense, stating there was no imminent threat to Israel or the West from Iran,” Goldstein said in a video posted on X on Monday.
“Iran fights back by launching missiles at Israel’s civilian centers, condemnation for which is, as expected, muted in the international media and community of nations,” the Jewish leader continued.
Israel’s strike on Iran was a 1-minute-to midnight action to head off the annihilation of the Jewish state, and prevent another Holocaust. pic.twitter.com/kYj7Tw9bDs
— Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein (@ChiefRabbiSA) June 16, 2025
Last week, Israel launched a broad preemptive attack on Iran, targeting military installations and nuclear sites across the country in what officials described as an effort to neutralize an imminent nuclear threat.
The ongoing Israeli strikes killed several of Iran’s top military commanders and nuclear scientists and dealt a major blow to the country’s retaliatory capabilities, destroying not only much of its ballistic missile stockpiles but also crippling its launch platforms.
On Friday, South African authorities expressed “profound concern” over Israel’s military campaign against Iran and extended their “sincere condolences to the Iranian government and the families of all victims.”
“These actions raise serious concerns under international law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the protection of civilians enshrined in the UN Charter and international humanitarian law,” Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, said in a statement.
“We reiterate our unwavering commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes. South Africa urges maximum restraint by all parties and calls for the urgent intensification of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and promote stability in the Middle East,” Phiri continued.
In his video posted to social media, Goldstein said there is ample evidence that Iran was just weeks away from acquiring nuclear weapons, noting that the Israeli strike came on day 62 of the 60-day window US President Donald Trump had given Tehran to reach a nuclear deal.
“Israel’s strike on Iran was a 1-minute-to midnight action to head off the annihilation of the Jewish state, and prevent another Holocaust,” Goldstein said.
After five rounds of talks between the US and Iran, diplomatic efforts stalled as the two adversaries clashed over Tehran’s insistence on maintaining its domestic uranium enrichment program — a demand that Trump had publicly rejected.
“For Israel this war against Iran is a fight for survival. To stop its annihilation. To stop another Holocaust,” the Jewish leader said in his video statement.
“Had Iran been able to develop a nuclear bomb and announce it via a successful test, it would have been too late to launch a preemptive strike. The stakes would have been too high, and Iran would have gained the leverage to completely shift the balance of power, both in the Middle East and globally,” Goldstein continued.
Iranian leaders regularly declare their intention of destroying Israel and have for decades supplied internationally designated terrorist groups, such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with weapons and funding to attack the Jewish state. Nonetheless, South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe said earlier this year that his country would consider partnering with Iran for expanding its civilian nuclear power capacity.
Amid the ongoing diplomatic deadlock between Tehran and Washington, Israel had previously declared it would never allow the Islamist regime to acquire nuclear weapons, as the country views Iran’s nuclear program — which Tehran insists is solely for civilian purposes — as an existential threat.
“Everyone knows that Iran must be disarmed but none has Israel’s courage to do what must be done,” Goldstein said. “But if they won’t help, they should at least express their gratitude to the brave government, soldiers, pilots, and people of Israel for what they are doing to make this world safe.”
Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the South African government has been one of the most vocal critics of the Jewish state on the international stage, repeatedly targeting Jerusalem through diplomatic actions.
Since December 2023, South Africa has been pursuing its case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of committing “state-led genocide” in its defensive war against the Palestinian terrorist group in Gaza.
The post South African Chief Rabbi Slams Government’s Support for Iran as Middle East Conflict Escalates first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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North London Synagogue, Nursery Targeted in Eighth Local Antisemitic Incident in Just Over a Week
Demonstrators against antisemitism in London on Sept. 8, 2025. Photo: Campaign Against Antisemitism
A synagogue and its nursery school in the Golders Green area of north London were targeted in an antisemitic attack on Thursday morning — the eighth such incident locally in just over a week amid a shocking surge of anti-Jewish hate crimes in the area.
The synagogue and Jewish nursery were smeared with excrement in an antisemitic outrage echoing a series of recent incidents targeting the local Jewish community.
“The desecration of another local synagogue and a children’s nursery with excrement is a vile, deliberate, and premeditated act of antisemitism,” Shomrim North West London, a Jewish organization that monitors antisemitism and also serves as a neighborhood watch group, said in a statement.
“This marks the eighth antisemitic incident locally in just over a week, to directly target the local Jewish community,” the statement read. “These repeated attacks have left our community anxious, hurt, and increasingly worried.”
Local law enforcement confirmed they are reviewing CCTV footage and collecting evidence to identify the suspect and bring them to justice.
This latest anti-Jewish hate crime came just days after tens of thousands of people marched through London in a demonstration against antisemitism, amid rising levels of antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In just over a week, seven Jewish premises in Barnet, the borough in which Golders Green is located, have been targeted in separate antisemitic incidents.
According to the Metropolitan Police, an investigation has been launched into the targeted attacks, all of which involved the use of bodily fluids.
During the incidents, a substance was smeared on four synagogues and a private residence, while a liquid was thrown at a school and over a car in two other attacks.
As the investigation continues, local police said they believe the same suspect is likely responsible for all seven offenses, which are being treated as religiously motivated criminal damage.
No arrests have been made so far, but law enforcement said it is actively engaging with the local Jewish community to provide reassurance and support.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a nonprofit charity that advises Britain’s Jewish community on security matters, condemned the recent wave of attacks and called on authorities to take immediate action.
“The extreme defilement of several Jewish locations in and around Golders Green is utterly abhorrent and deeply distressing,” CST said in a statement.
“CST is working closely with police and communal partners to support victims and help identify and apprehend the perpetrator,” it continued.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) also denounced the attacks, calling for urgent measures to protect the Jewish community.
“These repeated incidents are leaving British Jews anxious and vulnerable in their own neighborhoods, not to mention disgusted,” CAA said in a statement.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, the United Kingdom has experienced a surge in antisemitic crimes and anti-Israel sentiment.
Last month, CST published a report showing there were 1,521 antisemitic incidents in the UK from January to June of this year. It marks the second-highest total of incidents ever recorded by CST in the first six months of any year, following the first half of 2024 in which 2,019 antisemitic incidents were recorded.
In total last year, CST recorded 3,528 antisemitic incidents for 2024, the country’s second worst year for antisemitism despite being an 18 percent drop from 2023’s record of 4,296.
In previous years, the numbers were significantly lower, with 1,662 incidents in 2022 and 2,261 hate crimes in 2021.
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Germany to Hold Off on Recognizing Palestinian State but Will Back UN Resolution for Two-State Solution
German national flag flutters on top of the Reichstag building, that seats the Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, March 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Germany will support a United Nations resolution for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but does not believe the time has come to recognize a Palestinian state, a government spokesman told Reuters on Thursday.
“Germany will support such a resolution which simply describes the status quo in international law,” the spokesman said, adding that Berlin “has always advocated a two-state solution and is asking for that all the time.”
“The chancellor just mentioned two days ago again that Germany does not see that the time has come for the recognition of the Palestinian state,” the spokesman added.
Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium have all said they will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly later this month, although London said it could hold back if Israel were to take steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and commit to a long-term peace process.
The United States strongly opposes any move by its European allies to recognize Palestinian independence.
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US has told other countries that recognition of a Palestinian state will cause more problems.
Those who see recognition as a largely symbolic gesture point to the negligible presence on the ground and limited influence in the conflict of countries such as China, India, Russia, and many Arab states that have recognized Palestinian independence for decades.
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UN Security Council, With US Support, Condemns Strikes on Qatar
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
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned recent strikes on Qatar’s capital Doha, but did not mention Israel in the statement agreed to by all 15 members, including Israel‘s ally the United States.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with the attack on Tuesday, escalating its military action in what the United States described as a unilateral attack that does not advance US and Israeli interests.
The United States traditionally shields its ally Israel at the United Nations. US backing for the Security Council statement, which could only be approved by consensus, reflects President Donald Trump’s unhappiness with the attack ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Council members underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar. They underlined their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar,” read the statement, drafted by Britain and France.
The Doha operation was especially sensitive because Qatar has been hosting and mediating negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
“Council members underscored that releasing the hostages, including those killed by Hamas, and ending the war and suffering in Gaza must remain our top priority,” the Security Council statement read.
The Security Council will meet later on Thursday to discuss the Israeli attack at a meeting due to be attended by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.