RSS
South Africa’s Top Cricket Body Knocks Back Jewish Community Concerns Over Removal of Jewish Player as Team Captain
South African U-19 star cricketer David Teeger. Photo: Screenshot
South African Jewish leaders on Tuesday encountered frustration after a meeting with Cricket South Africa (CSA) — the sport’s governing body in the country — failed to restore the captaincy of the U-19 national team to David Teeger, the Jewish player who was stripped of his role just one week before the commencement of the Cricket World Cup on Friday amid accusations of antisemitism.
At an online press conference, Prof. Karen Milner — the national chair of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) — relayed that the group’s meeting with CSA board chair Lawson Naidoo and other members of the executive over the decision had resulted in a stalemate, with virtually no points of mutual understanding between the two sides.
Teeger’s removal from the U-19 captaincy was the consequence, according to last week’s CSA statement, of its concern “that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament.”
It added that such protests would likely focus on Teeger — an observant Jew and resident of Johannesburg who made his professional cricket debut in 2023, scoring an impressive 51 runs for the South Africa Emerging Players side against North Cape. Teeger was only appointed to the captaincy of the U-19 team last month.
The targeting of Teeger could result “in conflict or even violence between rival groups of protesters,” CSA said. Invoking its “duty to safeguard the interests and safety of all those involved in the World Cup,” it said that Teeger had been “relieved of the captaincy … in the best interests of the players, the U-19 team, and David himself.” Teeger would “remain an important and active member of the team and we wish him and the team every success in the tournament,” CSA concluded.
Teeger first became a target for the vocal pro-Hamas movement in South Africa just weeks after the Oct. 7 pogrom in southern Israel. Receiving an award at a Jewish communal ceremony that same month, Teeger dedicated it to “the State of Israel and every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the diaspora.”
Despite the opprobrium these comments generated, an independent inquiry concluded that Teeger had not violated any of CSA’s rules or regulations with his comments, clearing his way to be appointed as captain.
At Tuesday’s press conference, Zev Krengel, SAJBD’s vice-president, insisted that CSA’s invocation of security concerns was a “ruse” to cover its determination to remove Teeger as team captain despite the inquiry’s findings. He asserted that CSA’s reasoning had continually shifted, with an initial focus on Teeger’s well-being. But after Teeger made clear his desire to remain as captain, CSA then raised the welfare of the team overall, going on to argue that there was a risk of violence between police and protesters at the World Cup in the event that he led the side.
Krengel also pointed out that CSA had initially said it had received a security report. However, when the SAJBD asked for a copy, they were told that the information had in fact been delivered as a “briefing.” When asked who had provided the briefing, CSA refused to answer.
“They tried to get David to step down voluntarily, saying ‘it’ll be hard for you.’ He refused and that’s when they stripped him,” Krengel said.
Krengel added that the decision was “pure antisemitism.”
“This smells of the 1936 Olympics” in Berlin, he said, referring to when two athletes from the US team, Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller, were abruptly withdrawn from the 4×100 meter relay on the official grounds that they were not fast enough, although the consensus among historians is that they were replaced so as not to offend Nazi leader Adolf Hitler with the sight of Jewish athletes competing.
“When asked who gave the briefing they refused to tell us. They admit there’s no security report,” Krengel said. “So there’s only two options, antisemitism at CSA or massive political interference from the ANC.”
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has been one of the leaders of the political charge against Israel over the last three months, bringing a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing the Jewish state of committing “genocide” in its military response to the Oct. 7 atrocities perpetrated by Hamas.
Milner said that CSA had “found an excuse to exclude a young Jewish cricketer, to strip him of his honors in the most hurtful and humiliating way four days before the start of the tournament.” She reported that the meeting had closed with a CSA board member suggesting that they should “agree to disagree.”
“The SAJBD cannot agree to disagree when issues of antisemitism are at stake,” she stated. She added that the SAJBD would continue to demand Teeger’s reinstatement, emphasizing that there was “no way this can be resolved without that.” Separately, Krengel said that when he asked the CSA board whether they could agree that a Jew being removed from the captaincy was a “sad day” for South African cricket, his interlocutors again refused to answer.
Krengel said the SAJBD would now approach the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s global governing body, to call out CSA’s act of “discrimination.”
“If the ICC does nothing about it, it will be a black mark against the ICC as the 1936 Olympics were a black mark for the International Olympic Committee,” he said.
However, the ICC on Tuesday said it was unable to step into the controversy.
“Team selection including captaincy is an issue for members and not the ICC,” a spokesperson said. “An international federation is not constituted to intervene in team selections.”
The post South Africa’s Top Cricket Body Knocks Back Jewish Community Concerns Over Removal of Jewish Player as Team Captain first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Pro-Palestinian Rapper Leads ‘Death to the IDF’ Chant at English Music festival

Revellers dance as Avril Lavigne performs on the Other Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
i24 News – Chants of “death to the IDF” were heard during the English Glastonbury music festival on Saturday ahead of the appearance of the pro-Palestinian Irish rappers Kneecap.
One half of punk duo based Bob Vylan (who both use aliases to protect their privacy) shouted out during a section of their show “Death to the IDF” – the Israeli military. Videos posted on X (formerly Twitter) show the crowd responding to and repeating the cheer.
This comes after officials had petitioned the music festival to drop the band. The rap duo also expressed support for the following act, Kneecap, who the BCC refused to show live after one of its members, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – better known by stage name Mo Chara – was charged with a terror offense.
The post Pro-Palestinian Rapper Leads ‘Death to the IDF’ Chant at English Music festival first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Rubio Holds First Meeting with Hostage Families, Urges End to Gaza War

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 10, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard
i24 News – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held on Friday his first meeting with the families of the hostages still held in Gaza since taking office in January, telling the loved ones that a “real victory” can only occur in Gaza when the remaining hostages are returned.
Those in attendance included Omri Miran’s brother-in-law; Evyatar David’s brother; Hadar Goldin’s brother; and Iair Horn, who himself is a freed hostage, with his brother Eitan still held by Hamas in Gaza.
According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, they urged the current US administration for a “bold decision.” “We’ve waited long enough,” the family members said. “It’s time to make brave decisions and bring all our loved ones back—all at once.”
Rubio, in turn, expressed the Trump administration’s “unwavering commitment” in rescuing the 49 remaining hostages, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
This meeting comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that he believes a ceasefire will be reached between Israel and Hamas “within the next week.”
The post Rubio Holds First Meeting with Hostage Families, Urges End to Gaza War first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Trump Says He Would Consider Bombing Iran Again, Drops Sanctions Relief Plan

US President Donald Trump speaks at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not pictured), at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamanei, on Friday, dropped plans to lift sanctions on Iran and said he would consider bombing Iran again if Tehran is enriching uranium to worrisome levels.
Trump reacted sternly to Khamanei’s first remarks after a 12-day conflict with Israel that ended when the United States launched bombing raids last weekend against Iranian nuclear sites.
Khamanei said Iran “slapped America in the face” by launching an attack against a major US base in Qatar following the US bombing raids. Khamanei also said Iran would never surrender.
Trump said he had spared Khamanei’s life. US officials told Reuters on June 15 that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader.
“His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life,” Trump said in a social media post.
“I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH,” he said.
Iran said a potential nuclear deal was conditional on the US ending its “disrespectful tone” toward the Supreme Leader.
“If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X in the early hours of Saturday.
Trump also said that in recent days he had been working on the possible removal of sanctions on Iran to give it a chance for a speedy recovery. He said he had now abandoned that effort.
“I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,” he said.
Trump said at a White House news conference that he did not rule out attacking Iran again, when asked about the possibility of new bombing of Iranian nuclear sites if deemed necessary at some point.
“Sure, without question, absolutely,” he said.
Trump said he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency – the U.N. nuclear watchdog – or another respected source to be able to inspect Iran’s nuclear sites after they were bombed last weekend.
Trump has rejected any suggestion that damage to the sites was not as profound as he has said.
The IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority as none had taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13.
However, Iran’s parliament approved moves on Wednesday to suspend such inspections. Araqchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the head of the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump said Iran still wants to meet about the way forward. The White House had said on Thursday that no meeting between the U.S. and an Iranian delegation has been scheduled thus far.
The post Trump Says He Would Consider Bombing Iran Again, Drops Sanctions Relief Plan first appeared on Algemeiner.com.