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Taylor Swift’s bodyguard returns to Israel to fight in the war
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(JTA) — An Israeli bodyguard who has been working for superstar Taylor Swift on her global “Eras” tour has returned to Israel to fight in its ongoing war against Hamas.
Eran Swissa, an entertainment reporter for the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, conveyed the news on Sunday. “I have a pretty great life in the U.S., a dream job, great friends, and a comfortable home,” said the guard, who chose not to share his name. “I didn’t have to come here, but I couldn’t stand by while families were slaughtered and burned alive in their homes. Don’t stand by and do nothing. Don’t be on the wrong side of history.”
Taylor Swift’s security guard, a former IDF soldier, came to Israel to volunteer in the army. pic.twitter.com/G9NS09sh64
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) October 15, 2023
The guard had gone viral over the summer for his attentiveness while protecting Swift. Clips of him closely watching the crowd while escorting Swift into and out of her concerts were the subject of several videos and posts across social media.
“That man just scanned a thousand people in the crowd in six seconds, six seconds flat. Whatever Taylor Swift’s paying him, it’s not enough,” one user said in a TikTok video in July that received 1.3 million likes.
In his statement to Swissa, the guard strongly condemned Hamas, writing that “those are not human beings.” He went on: “I’m not only standing here with Israel and actually standing here. I’m standing here with humanity. Don’t be on the wrong side of history!! Don’t stand on the sidelines and say nothing… Stand with Israel, stand with HUMANITY!!!!!”
Swift, who has spoken out on political and current events in the past, has so far not publicly commented on the war in Israel. That silence has elicited criticism from some of her fans, especially as she promotes her new concert film, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” which opened in theaters on Friday and set a box office record.
Nicole Rose, a Jewish jeweler with 150,000 Instagram followers, wrote: “Terrible timing. Kids are getting raped. Innocent people are dying on both sides. Hamas!! a terrorist organization is slaughtering Israelis… but it’s ‘launch day’??? I’m super disappointed in her.”
While presale tickets for the “Eras” film had been selling quickly in Israel, all movie theaters are currently closed due to the war, according to the Jerusalem Post.
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The post Taylor Swift’s bodyguard returns to Israel to fight in the war appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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PA Security Forces End Standoff with Jenin Battalion, Enter West Bank Camp
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Illustrative. Palestinian demonstrators call for an end to clashes between Palestinian security forces and terrorists in Jenin, in the West Bank, Dec. 16, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta
i24 News – The Palestinian Authority on Friday reached an agreement with the jihadists of the Jenin Battalion, ending a six-week standoff in the northern West Bank terror hotbed.
The Jenin Battalion is a local jihadist militia affiliated with Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
The PA’s engineering and civil defense crews will begin dismantling explosives planted across Jenin, Palestinian media reported.
A Palestinian security source told i24NEWS that not a single weapon has been handed over by the Jenin Battalion to PA security forces.
The post PA Security Forces End Standoff with Jenin Battalion, Enter West Bank Camp first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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With Hamas Yet to Name 3 First Hostages to Be Released, Netanyahu Slams Violation of Agreement
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Hamas violated the terms of its agreement with Israel even before the ceasefire went into effect, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed out on Saturday.
The jihadist group failed to submit to Israel the names of the three hostages slated to be freed on Sunday, in contravention to the terms of the ceasefire stipulating that this information be communicated 24 hours in advance.
“We will not move forward with the outline until we receive the list of hostages to be released, as agreed. Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement,” Netanyahu said some three hours after the names should have been submitted. “The sole responsibility lies with Hamas.”
The post With Hamas Yet to Name 3 First Hostages to Be Released, Netanyahu Slams Violation of Agreement first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US Slaps Sanctions on Yemeni Bank with Ties to Houthis
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Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
i24 News – The US on Friday imposed sanctions on a Yemen-based financial institution that Washington accused of financially supporting the Houthis, as President Joe Biden’s administration sought to further pressure the Iran-backed jihadists before Biden leaves office.
The US Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Yemen Kuwait Bank, accusing it of helping the Houthis exploit the Yemeni banking sector to launder money and transfer funds to allies, including fellow Iranian proxy Hezbollah.
In addition to numerous attacks on Israel’s civilian centers since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships, sinking two vessels, seizing another and killing at least four seafarers. The intensity of the attacks has disrupted global shipping and prompted route changes.
The attacks have disrupted international commerce, forcing some ships to take the long route around southern Africa rather than the Suez Canal, leading to increases in insurance rates, delivery costs and time that stoked global inflation fears.
The Houthis, a fundamentally antisemitic jihadist group, seized power in Yemen in late 2014 and control most parts of the country including the capital Sanaa.
The post US Slaps Sanctions on Yemeni Bank with Ties to Houthis first appeared on Algemeiner.com.