People stand next to flags on the day the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages, Oded Lifschitz, Shiri Bibas, and her two children Kfir and Ariel Bibas, who were kidnapped during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, are handed over under the terms of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad

The International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) has banned all representation of Israel at its events and said Israeli athletes must compete under neutral status, following the alleged death of a Palestinian boy who was a member of the Palestinian national Muaythai team.

Ammar Mutaz Hamayel, 13, was allegedly shot in the back by an Israeli soldier near Ramallah in the West Bank, Palestinian media claimed. Soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were also accused of detaining Hamayel for two hours before handing him over to a Palestinian ambulance that took him to the hospital, where he was allegedly pronounced dead. Israel has not verified or commented on Hamayel’s death.

The IFMA published a tribute to Hamayel after his alleged death, saluting him as a “young warrior” and saying that “his passion for Muaythai was matched only by the warmth and kindness he shared with all who knew him.” In honor of Hamayel, the IFMA flew its flags at half-mast, its social media profiles went dark, and a moment of silence was held for him at the final of the Asian Championships on June 25. Stephan Fox, the general secretary of IFMA, posted his own tribute to Hameyel on social media.

“When a child, a youth peace ambassador, is killed, silence is no longer an option,” said IFMA President Dr. Sakchye Tapsuwan. “This is not just a tragedy – it is a call to action. We cannot stand by when the innocent pay the price of conflict,” he added. “Sport is meant to protect, empower, and unite – especially for the young. Ammar believed in that. We honor his memory not with silence, but with a stand for justice.”

The IFMA, which is the world governing body for the Thai martial arts and combat sport, published a policy report on July 18 announcing that effective immediately, Israeli national symbols – including the flag, anthem, and emblems – will be “strictly prohibited” at all IFMA-organized and IFMA-sanctioned events. Israeli athletes, team officials, coaches, and delegation members must participate under the status of Authorized Individual Neutrals (AIN), a designation also applied to individuals from Russia and Belarus. “They must not represent their country in any capacity,” according to the new policy. Also, no IFMA or IFMA-affiliated events will be hosted in or supported within Israel until further notice.

The new policy will remain in place until repealed or amended by the IFMA Executive Committee. “The policy reflects IFMA’s commitment to fair play, neutrality, and the protection of the values and integrity of sport in the current complex geopolitical landscape and recent developments,” the organization stated.

The IFMA added that the new policy will not impact the 2025 Youth World Championships in Abu Dhabi set for September. Israeli delegations may compete in the championships with Israeli representation but “all subsequent events will enforce the full neutrality conditions set forth in this policy.”

Muaythai originated hundreds of years ago in Thailand, a Southeast Asian country whose citizens have been constantly impacted by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. During the Hamas-led deadly massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, terrorists killed more than 40 Thais and kidnapped 31 Thai laborers, some of whom died in captivity, according to the Thai government. Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists abducted more than 250 people in total, including Israelis and foreign nationals.

In June, Israeli military forces retrieved the body of a Thai hostage, Nattapong Pinta, who had been held in Gaza since the attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Pinta was abducted alive from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and was killed during captivity. Last year, four Thai nationals were killed and one was injured in northern Israel by rockets fired from the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah.

Candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a Democratic New York City mayoral primary debate, June 4, 2025, in New York, US. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/Pool via REUTERS

Most Jewish voters in New York City oppose Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, but he still enjoys a plurality of their support as their collective vote is too divided among other the other candidates in the race, according to new polling released by the New York Solidarity Network.

Jewish support in the upcoming New York City mayoral race is fractured among other candidates, with former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (21 percent), incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (25 percent), and Republican challenger Curtis Sliwa (14 percent) all drawing significant backing.

The July survey of 800 registered Jewish voters found that just 37 percent said they would back Mamdani in a general election matchup. The fragmented opposition for the rest of the Jewish electorate underscores the challenge Mamdani’s critics face in consolidating around an alternative.

However, Jewish voters, who overwhelmingly identify as Democrats, are still breaking with the party’s nominee. Even among Democratic-leaning and progressive Jewish communities, many are turning away from Mamdani due to his record on Israel and antisemitism.

The sharpest divides emerge along religious lines, according to the poll. Orthodox Jews, both Hasidic and Modern, overwhelmingly reject Mamdani, with just 3 percent supporting him. They instead lean heavily toward Adams (61 percent) and to a lesser extent Cuomo (14 percent) and Sliwa (18 percent). Conservative Jews also favor Cuomo (35 percent) over Mamdani (31 percent). In contrast, Reform Jews and those without a denominational affiliation are more likely to support Mamdani, 54 percent and 48 percent, respectively.

At the core of the opposition is Mamdani’s stance on Israel. Two-thirds of respondents identified as “pro-Israel,” and over 70 percent described antisemitism in New York as a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” problem. Mamdani’s refusal to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada,” which 62 percent of surveyed voters described as antisemitic, has been particularly controversial.

The survey presented voters with a statement detailing Mamdani’s support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, his reluctance to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, and his past efforts in the State Assembly to limit cooperation between Jewish-American and Israeli charities. After hearing this description, 66 percent of Jewish voters said it raised either “very serious” or “somewhat serious” concerns about his candidacy.

In fact, about half of all respondents (51 percent) said they believe Mamdani is antisemitic. Among his supporters, however, that number dropped sharply to just 3 percent, revealing a stark divide in perception.

While Mamdani does find support among younger, less observant Jews, the polling shows that Jewish concerns over safety and antisemitism remain potent political issues. Among voters aged 50 and older, more than 60 percent said they are concerned that Mamdani’s election would make the city less safe for Jews.

Mamdani, the 33‑year‑old state assemblymember and proud democratic socialist, defeated Cuomo and other candidates in a lopsided first‑round win in the city’s Democratic primary for mayor, notching approximately 43.5 percent of first‑choice votes compared to Cuomo’s 36.4 percent.

A little-known politician before this year’s primary campaign, Mamdani is an outspoken supporter of the BDS movement, which seeks to isolate Israel from the international community as a step toward its eventual elimination.

Mamdani has also repeatedly refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, falsely suggesting the country does not offer “equal rights” for all its citizens, and promised to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York.

Jevgenius Kevicius prays in front of the chapel of Vilna Gaon in a Jewish cemetery in Vilnius, Aug. 7, 2007. Photo: Reuters

The Lithuanian government has come under fire for its decision to move forward with construction on the historic Snipiskes (Piramónt) Jewish Cemetery in the country’s capital of Vilnius and to convert it into a conference center.

In 1971, when Lithuania was still part of the Soviet Union, the Soviets built the Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace on top of the Jewish cemetery after destroying the historic graveyard located in the neighborhood of Piromont, now known as Šnipiškės. The burial site dates back to the 15th century and was once the burial place for thousands of Lithuanian Jews, including revered rabbis, scholars, and community leaders, according to the Auschwitz Jewish Center Fourndation (AJCF). It is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Vilnius.

In 2004, the Sports Palace was closed and began to fall into disrepair. It has been vacant ever since and is often vandalized.

The Lithuanian government announced on July 28 that it will revive former plans, proposed more than a decade ago, to turn the now “unused and abandoned” concert and sports center into the Vilnius Congress Centre. “The territory of the former Vilnius Jewish Šnipiškės old cemetery located around the building will also be cleaned up and commemorated,” according to the announcement. The building also hosted the founding congress of the Lithuanian Reform Movement in October 1988 and a farewell ceremony for victims of Soviet violence in January 1991.

“When implementing the project, attention will be maintained both to the significance of this place for the history of Lithuania and to the memory of the events that marked it,” said since-resigned Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas. He announced his decision to step down as prime minister on Friday.

The goal of the new construction is to promote business and conference tourism to Lithuania, while also addressing the fact that country still does not have an A-class conference center, according to the government. It added that according to preliminary estimates from the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the proposed Vilnius Congress Centre could generate up to €133 million annually and create up to 1,200 jobs in sectors ranging from tourism, logistics, and event organizing.

Proposals to convert the site into a convention venue started in 2015, but they have always been met with backlash from Jewish groups because of the historic Jewish cemetery located on the land.

The decision to convert the site into a convention center is a “painful betrayal of Lithuania’s own past commitments and a desecration to the interned deceased,” said Pinchas Goldschmidt, the former chief rabbi of Moscow and the current President of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER). The rabbinical alliance represents more than 700 religious leaders across Europe.

Goldschmidt noted in a statement that a special committee, established by the previous Lithuanian government in 2023, concluded that the site of the historic Jewish cemetery should not be developed further, and drafted proposals on how it should be commemorated with a memorial site within the Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace. “We now urge the current government to honor those conclusions, which were reached through serious consultation and international engagement,” he said.

“This is not a matter of politics, but of moral and historical responsibility. Thousands of Jewish graves lie beneath that site,” Goldschmidt added. “Turning it into a venue for entertainment and gatherings is a profound desecration to their dignity. We call on the Lithuanian authorities, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to reverse this decision and recommit to protecting Jewish heritage and faith, as they have previously pledged.”

Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman of the Lithuanian Jewish Community, said the local Jewish community was not consulted regarding the construction and that it could cause disrespect to those buried at the site. “I fear this project will attract Jews from around the world – not for conferences, but to witness how a civilized democratic country desecrates Jewish graves,” Kukliansky told Lithuania’s LRT RADIO.

The American Jewish Committee expressed “shock at the Lithuanian government’s surprise announcement.”

“We urge the Lithuanian government to immediately reverse course,” the AJC said in a statement. The move “reverses an internationally endorsed decision of the previous government, which rightly committed to transforming the site into a place of Jewish remembrance and education. The Jewish group added that the “abrupt nature of this decision raises serious questions and casts a shadow over Lithuania’s stated commitment to Holocaust memory and Jewish heritage.”

“The decision by Lithuania to desecrate what is among the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe is a grave insult to the memory of the dead and to the conscience of the living,” said AJCF Chairman Simon Bergson. “Cemeteries are eternal places of rest, and this betrayal reverberates far beyond Lithuania. It undermines the universal promise to preserve Jewish memory and respect for the sanctity of the dead.”

“Lithuania once vowed to protect the Vilnius cemetery and honor it as a place of remembrance,” added AJCF Director General Jack Simony. “To renege on that promise now is a profound breach of trust — not only with the Jewish community but with all who believe in the integrity of Holocaust memory. This is not about stones and soil; it is about the eternal dignity of human beings whose remains lie there.”

“Vilnius must decide whether it will be remembered as a guardian of memory or as a force of its destruction,” added Simony. “We cannot allow silence to pave over sacred ground. This is not only a Jewish issue. It is a human issue. History is watching.”

The AJCF has urged the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to designate the Jewish cemetery as a protected heritage site under international law, and called on the European Union “to hold Lithuania accountable to its previous pledges and its responsibility to preserve cultural and historical memory.” The AJCF also called on the United States government, which has a statutory obligation to safeguard Jewish cemeteries abroad, to get involved and ensure the preservation of the Jewish site.

Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas criticized the government for not consulting with city officials before making the decision. He told LRT RADIO that the city was already making progress on developing an alternative site for a A-class conference center, near the parliament building.

“The government announced – without any discussion – that the space would become a conference center. We weren’t sitting idly by; we were moving ahead with our own plans. Learning about this from a press release was unexpected,” Benkunskas said. The mayor noted that Paluckas reassured him, early in his term as prime minister, that there would be no changes regarding the Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace on top of the old Jewish cemetery, and any moves regarding the building would include conversations with city officials.