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The Jewish Sport Report: An unauthorized moment of silence for Israel

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(JTA) — Good afternoon! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. And happy Black Friday to all who celebrate.
For sports fans, Thanksgiving is about football (plus, you know, family and food). A.J. Dillon and the Green Bay Packers upset their rivals, the Detroit Lions, 29-22 in their annual holiday matchup yesterday. And Jake Curhan and the Seattle Seahawks hosted the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football, losing 31-13.
But for many, no Thanksgiving game will top the 2012 “butt fumble” game, when the New England Patriots embarrassed the New York Jets 49-19 and Jets QB Mark Sanchez fumbled the ball after running into his own teammate’s behind. The Pats recovered said butt fumble and returned it for a touchdown.
That play is, understandably, what people remember. But the bad luck didn’t stop there. After the Patriots’ extra point, the Jets immediately fumbled the ball again on the kickoff return — and none other than Julian Edelman returned it 22 yards for another touchdown.
Pats fans were definitely saying dayenu that day!
An unauthorized display of solidarity with Israel
The Israeli and Polish under-21 national soccer teams hold an unofficial moment of silence during their Nov. 17 match in Lodz, Poland. (Screenshot from X/Julien Bahloul)
During a European qualifying match last Friday, the Israeli and Polish under-21 national teams held a moment of silence to honor the victims of the Oct. 7 attack in Israel.
The gesture would have been powerful on its own. But it was even more notable because European soccer’s governing body had reportedly denied the teams’ request to hold a moment of silence. The teams did it anyway — remaining in their starting formations for the first minute of the game, standing still as the clock began to run.
The war has impacted all Israeli sports, but perhaps soccer most of all. Numerous national teams are in the midst of qualifying matches for upcoming international tournaments, including the under-21 and senior teams, both of which have had to move games that were originally set to be played in Israel.
Halftime report
HOT STOVE UPDATES. The MLB offseason is off to a slow start, but there are some Jewish storylines to watch. Rowdy Tellez is now a free agent after being non-tendered by the Milwaukee Brewers. Jared Shuster was traded to the Chicago White Sox as part of a big deal with the Atlanta Braves last week. Shuster should have a better chance to compete for a rotation spot with his new club. Philadelphia Phillies general manager Sam Fuld executed the first big free agent signing of the winter, keeping ace Aaron Nola in Philly with a 7-year, $172 million deal. And former Team Israel coach Brad Ausmus was hired to be the new bench coach of the New York Yankees.
SOLD! A couple weeks ago, we shared an auction with a couple rare Jewish baseball items: a 1870s photo of Lipman Pike and a game-worn hat from Sandy Koufax’s 1965 Cy Young season. The photo sold for $131,971, while Koufax’s cap got $39,137. But don’t worry — if you missed your chance at that auction, there’s another Koufax keepsake up for grabs. You can now bid on a game-used glove from 1956.
COMEBACK. Gabrielle Rose, who competed in the 2000 Olympics with the U.S. team, just became the oldest swimmer to clinch a spot in the Olympic Trials, at 46 years old. Rose’s father was Mike Rose, the longtime CEO of Holiday Inn.
Jews in sports to watch this weekend
IN BASKETBALL…
Deni Avdija and the Washington Wizards — who are off to a rough 2-12 start this season — host the Milwaukee Bucks in the in-season tournament tonight at 8 p.m. and face the Atlanta Hawks tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET. Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings play the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday at 8 p.m. ET. In the G League, Ryan Turell and the Motor City Cruise host the Cleveland Charge tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Amari Bailey and the Greensboro Swarm host the Maine Celtics today at 2 p.m. ET and the Westchester Knicks tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET.
IN HOCKEY…
Superstar Jack Hughes returned last weekend after missing five games with an upper-body injury. He, his brother Luke and the New Jersey Devils host Devon Levi’s Buffalo Sabres tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET. Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks face Luke Kunin and the San Jose Sharks Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. Zach Hyman and the Edmonton Oilers match up against the Anaheim Ducks Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.
IN FOOTBALL…
Greg Joseph and the Minnesota Vikings host the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET.
IN SOCCER…
After helping the U.S. Men’s National Team punch its ticket to the next round in the Nations League tournament, goalkeeper Matt Turner will be back with his Premier League team Nottingham Forest tomorrow, when they face Brighton at 10 a.m. ET.
IN RACING…
The Formula One season comes to an end this weekend with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sunday at 8 a.m. ET. Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll came in fifth place in last weekend’s Las Vegas race and currently sits at 10th place in the standings.
Friendly fire
Last week we told you that Scott Schoeneweis had the most appearances of any Jewish pitcher, with 577. The 12-year MLB veteran, who played from 1999 to 2010, holds another Jewish record: he has given up the most home runs against opposing Jewish batters, with five. And all five were hit by the same two players. Can you name them? Send your answers to sports@jta.org. Good luck!
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Hundreds Demand Bob Vylan Be Dropped From UK Festival After Leading ‘Death to IDF’ Chants at Glastonbury

Bob Vylan music duo performance at Glastonbury Festival (Source: FLIKR)
Hundreds of people are urging officials in the United Kingdom to ban the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan from performing at the upcoming Boardmasters music festival in Cornwall after they led an anti-Israel chant at the Glastonbury music festival last month.
Bob Vylan lead singer Pascal Robinson-Foster stirred controversy by leading thousands in the crowd to chant “death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]” and “free, free Palestine” during the band’s Glastonbury performance on June 28, which was televised live by the BBC. He also complained on stage about working for a “f—king Zionist” during the set at the event in Somerset, England.
Because of their actions, the London-based band has been dropped by festivals and concerts worldwide as well as their talent agency. They had their US visas revoked ahead of their American tour and police in the UK launched an investigation into the band, to see if their comments amounted to a criminal offense, including ones related to a hate crime. Their anti-IDF comments were condemned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organizers, and the BBC issued a public apology for live streaming Bob Vylan’s “offensive and deplorable behavior.”
Bob Vylan have since explained that that they “are not for the death of Jews or Arabs or any other race or group.”
In light of the Glastonbury incident, councilors on the Cornwall Council, the licensing authority for the Boardmasters music festival in Cornwall, has received almost 300 formal complaints from members of the public, asking for Bob Vylan to be banned from the festival taking place from August 8-10, according to CornwallLive. Cornwall Councillor Dulcie Tudor publicly spoke about councilors receiving hundreds of complaints in a Facebook post on July 18. “Personally I would not spend any of my money to watch a band that called for the death of anyone,” Tudor wrote.
“It’s got to be the most concerted campaign I’ve seen since being on the council,” Tudor also told CornwallLive. “It’s more than the most controversial planning application.”
The council is due to hold a licensing hearing following a complaint received on July 16, which called on the authority to review the festival’s license in light of the band’s scheduled appearance. However, due to licensing hearing regulations, including a 20-day consultation period, the hearing will not take place until after the band’s performance at Boardmasters on Aug. 10, according to the BBC.
Organizers of Boardmasters said in a statement to the BBC that Bob Vylan will not be dropped from the festival despite their controversial comments. They said they are focused on having a “safe, respectful, and well-managed event.”
“Boardmasters is committed to being a space where people from all backgrounds feel welcome and safe,” the statement read. “We do not tolerate hate speech, incitement to violence, or behavior that puts anyone at risk, and we will continue to uphold these principles throughout the event and beyond. Our decision to proceed with the performance reflects a balance of factors, including the festival’s careful consideration of recent concerns, our ongoing dialogue with stakeholders, and the band’s agreement to the terms of their participation.”
“We have been clear with the band and their representatives about our expectations particularly the importance of maintaining a respectful and safe environment for everyone attending, working at, or involved in the festival,” organizers added.
Festival organizers are also partnering with Devon & Cornwall Police to ensure that the festival “continues to meet the highest standards of safety, compliance, and community accountability,” they said.
The post Hundreds Demand Bob Vylan Be Dropped From UK Festival After Leading ‘Death to IDF’ Chants at Glastonbury first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Canadian Woman Sentenced for Joining ISIS, Becomes First Person Convicted for ‘Family Support’ Role as a Spouse

Islamic State slogans painted along the walls of the tunnel was used by Islamic State militants as an underground training camp in the hillside overlooking Mosul, Iraq, March 4, 2017. Photo: via Reuters Connect.
A court in Quebec, Canada has sentenced a woman who absconded to Syria in 2014 to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to one day in prison and three years of probation, making her the first Canadian to be convicted for “providing support to a terrorist entity through family support as a spouse,” the Public Prosecution Service of Canada announced this week.
According to the law enforcement agency, Oumaima Chouay, 29, joined ISIS “knowing that her expected role would include marrying an ISIS fighter and raising children under the ISIS doctrine.” It added that, however, Chouay served a strictly domestic function which precluded any direct involvement in acts of terror or “actual combat” against the coalition of states — including her home government — which waged a protracted military campaign to quell the ISIS threat.
Chouay voluntarily repatriated to Canada in 2022, flying into the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. Law enforcement intercepted her there and later transferred her to a detention facility where she was subject to “strict bail conditions” and “depolarization therapy” aimed at repairing her susceptibility to extremist messaging. The rehabilitation proved a success, psychological experts have claimed, telling the state that Chouay’s “risk of recidivism and dangerousness is very low,” a conclusion with which the country’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, a division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, has reportedly concurred.
On Monday, Chouay pleaded guilty to one count of participating in the activities of a terrorist group. Her one-day prison sentence will be in addition to the 110 days served before pre-trial.
Canadian director of public prosecution George Dolhai said that a number of mitigating factors influenced Chouay’s sentencing, which is the first of its kind.
“The recommended sentence here takes into consideration the early, ongoing, demonstrated, and independently evaluated steps Ms. Chouay has taken to demonstrate remorse, take responsibility, commit to fundamental change and a rejection of extremist ideology,” Dolhai said in a statement. “This addresses the ultimate goal of protecting the community.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post Canadian Woman Sentenced for Joining ISIS, Becomes First Person Convicted for ‘Family Support’ Role as a Spouse first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Germany Not Planning to Recognize Palestinian State in Short Term, UK Will Only Do So as Part of Peace Deal

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a joint press conference with Finnish Prime Minister in Turku, Finland, on May 27, 2025. Photo: Lehtikuva/Roni Rekomaa via REUTERS
Germany is not planning to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term and said its priority now is to make “long-overdue progress” towards a two-state solution, a German government spokesperson said on Friday.
“Israel’s security is of paramount importance to the German government,” said the spokesperson. “The German government therefore has no plans to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday the British government would recognize a Palestinian state only as part of a negotiated peace deal, disappointing many in his Labour Party who want him to follow France in taking swifter action.
France’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September drew condemnation from Israel and the United States, amid the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision late Thursday, shortly before Starmer said he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany on the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Friday.
Britain’s immediate priority is alleviating suffering in Gaza and securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a cabinet minister said on Friday, even as Starmer came under growing pressure to recognize a Palestinian state.
Starmer said he was focused on the “practical solutions” that he thought would make a real difference to ending the war.
“Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that,” he said. “But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis.”
Over 220 members of parliament – about a third of lawmakers in the House of Commons and mostly Labour members – wrote to Starmer on Friday urging him to recognize a Palestinian state.
Italy’s foreign minister said on Friday that recognition of a Palestinian state must occur simultaneously with the recognition of Israel by the new entity.
“A Palestinian state that does not recognize Israel means that the problem will not be resolved,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a meeting of his conservative Forza Italia party.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in a statement welcoming the French move, credited the leadership of Saudi Arabia with playing “a key role in encouraging France’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine”, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.
“President Abbas urged all countries, especially European nations that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine, to do so based on the internationally endorsed two-state solution,” it cited Abbas as saying.
Saudi Arabia has been pushing France to recognize a Palestinian state over the past year with efforts led by Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan, said a source close to the royal court.
The post Germany Not Planning to Recognize Palestinian State in Short Term, UK Will Only Do So as Part of Peace Deal first appeared on Algemeiner.com.