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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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The post The Jewish Sport Report: An unauthorized moment of silence for Israel appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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3rd Round of Nuclear Talks Between Iran, US Concludes in Oman

Atomic symbol and USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
i24 News – The third round of talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program has concluded on Saturday, US media reported.
The two sides are understood to have discussed the US lifting of sanctions on Iran, with focuses on technical and key topics including uranium enrichment.
On April 12, the US and Iran held indirect talks in Muscat, marking the first official negotiation between the two sides since the US unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 during President Donald Trump’s first term.
The second round of indirect talks took place in Rome, Italy, on April 19.
All parties, including Oman, stated that the first two rounds of talks were friendly and constructive, but Iranian media pointed out that the first two rounds were mainly framework negotiations and had not yet touched upon the core issues of disagreement.
According to media reports, one of the key issues in the expert-level negotiations will be whether Washington will allow Iran to continue uranium enrichment within the framework of its nuclear program. In response, Araghchi made it clear that Iran’s right to uranium enrichment is non-negotiable.
The US, Israel and other Western actors including the United Nation’s nuclear agency reject Iranian claims that its uranium enrichment is strictly civilian in its goals.
The post 3rd Round of Nuclear Talks Between Iran, US Concludes in Oman first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Says It’s Open to 5-Year Gaza Truce, One-Time Release of All Hostages

Demonstrators hold signs and pictures of hostages, as relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest demanding the release of all hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Itai Ron
i24 News – The Palestinian jihadists of Hamas said they were willing to secure an agreement with Israel that that would see them remain in charge of the enclave, a source told international media. The deal would include an internationally guaranteed five-year truce and the release of all Israeli hostages in a single batch.
The latest bid to seal a ceasefire follows an Israeli proposal which Hamas had rejected earlier in April as “partial,” urging a “comprehensive” agreement to halt the war ignited by the October 7 massacres.
Israel demands the return of all hostages seized in the 2023 attack, and the disarmament of Hamas, which the jihadists rejected as a “red line.”
An earlier Israeli offer, rejected by the Palestinian terrorists, included a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for the return of 10 living hostages.
More than a month into a renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza after a two-month truce, a Hamas official said earlier this week that its delegation in Cairo would discuss “new ideas” on a ceasefire.
The post Hamas Says It’s Open to 5-Year Gaza Truce, One-Time Release of All Hostages first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Suspected Chemical Blast at Iran’s Bandar Abbas Kills 4, Injures Hundreds

People walk after an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, April 26, 2025. Photo: Mohammad Rasoul Moradi/IRNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A huge blast on Saturday likely caused by the explosion of chemical materials stored at Iran’s biggest port, Bandar Abbas, killed at least four people and injured more than 500, Iranian state media reported.
The explosion, which hit the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, but there was no immediate indication of a link between the two events.
Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran’s crisis management organization, appeared to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee.
“The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers,” he told Iran’s ILNA news agency.
“Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger,” Zafari said.
An Iranian government spokesperson, however, said that although chemicals had likely caused the blast, it was not yet possible to determine the exact reason.
Iran’s official news channels aired footage of a vast black and orange cloud of smoke billowing up above the port in the aftermath of the blast, and an office building with its doors blown off and papers and debris strewn around.
Bandar Abbas is Iran’s largest port and handles most of its containers in transit.
The blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometers and was heard in Qeshm, an island 16 miles south of the port, Iranian media said.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency posted footage of injured men lying on the road being tended to amid scenes of confusion.
State TV earlier reported that poor handling of flammable materials was a “contributing factor” to the explosion. A local crisis management official told state TV that the blast took place after several containers stored at the port exploded.
As relief workers tried to put out fires, the port’s customs officials said trucks were being evacuated from the area and that the container yard where the explosion occurred likely contained “dangerous goods and chemicals.” Activities at the port were halted after the blast, officials said.
DEADLY INCIDENTS
A series of deadly incidents have hit Iranian energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years, with many, like Saturday’s blast, blamed on negligence.
They have included refinery fires, a gas explosion at a coalmine, and an emergency repairs incident at Bandar Abbas killed one worker in 2023.
Iran has blamed some other incidents on its arch-foe Israel, which has carried out attacks on Iranian soil targeting Iran’s nuclear program in recent years and last year bombed the country’s air defenses.
Tehran said Israel was behind a February, 2024 attack on Iranian gas pipelines. And in 2020, computers at Shahid Rajaee were hit by a cyberattack. The Washington Post reported that Iran’s arch-foe Israel appeared to be behind that incident as retaliation for an earlier Iranian cyberattack.
Israel has indicated it is nervous about the outcome of US-Iran talks, demanding a full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran says the program is used solely for peaceful purposes, while international observers say it is getting closer to being able to build a bomb.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli military or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office when asked for comment on whether Israel was in any way involved in Saturday’s explosion.
Oil facilities were not affected by the blast on Saturday, Iranian authorities said. The National Iranian Petroleum Refining and Distribution Company said in a statement that it had “no connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes and oil pipelines.”
The post Suspected Chemical Blast at Iran’s Bandar Abbas Kills 4, Injures Hundreds first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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