Uncategorized
Israel stuns Brazil at FIFA U-20 World Cup to keep its underdog hopes alive
(JTA) — Israel’s under-20 men’s team defeated Brazil 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup on Saturday, their most shocking win in a string of dramatic underdog victories at the tournament.
The player who scored the winning goal in extra time dedicated the win to three Israeli soldiers killed in an attack the previous morning.
The team, making its first-ever appearance at the under-20 World Cup, is now through to the semifinal round, in which they will face either the United States or Uruguay on Thursday.
Israel — facing a country known for its international soccer dominance that has won the under-2o World Cup five times — was behind much of the game and also missed multiple penalty kicks. In the 56th minute, Brazil scored first, but Israel responded with a goal a few minutes later. The game then went to extra time tied 1-1, and Brazil promptly scored within 30 seconds in the overtime period. Israel responded to tie about two minutes later.
Then, in the final moments of the first half of extra time, Dor Turgeman wove between a series of defenders in front of Brazil’s goal to knock in what would be the winning score.
Turgeman wore a wristband that referenced the violence on the Israel-Egypt border hours before the game, in which an Egyptian security officer shot and killed three Israeli soldiers.
לזכרם.
למען כולם pic.twitter.com/VMxwpLkV11
— ISRAEL FA (@ISRAELFA) June 3, 2023
“We went through a very difficult day with the news from Israel,” Turgeman said after the match. “I dedicate this victory to the families of the victims. We were very pained by what happened.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted about the shooting on Saturday, before a few hours later tweeting about the soccer victory, writing: “Our young team made history and brought huge pride to the State of Israel!”
Besides Turgeman’s game-winner, Israel’s other two goals were scored by two of the roster’s three Israeli-Arab players: Anan Khalaili and Hamza Shibli.
The match took place in Argentina’s San Juan province, a mountainous region about 700 miles northwest of Buenos Aires. The stadium was almost empty, with fewer than 2,000 fans in attendance, but that number included members of the Jewish community and Israeli tourists who cheered and waved large Israeli flags. The tournament was originally slated to be played in Indonesia but was moved to Argentina after Indonesia protested Israel’s inclusion in the competition.
The semifinals and finals will take place in La Plata, where Israel began the tournament with the support of thousands of Jewish fans.
—
The post Israel stuns Brazil at FIFA U-20 World Cup to keep its underdog hopes alive appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Uncategorized
Exclusive: Israeli Officials Harshly Critical of Steve Witkoff’s Influence on US Policy on Gaza, Iran, i24NEWS Told
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
i24 News – Amid growing disagreements with the Trump administration over the composition of the Board of Peace for Gaza and the question of a strike on Iran, officials in Israel point to a key figure behind decisions seen as running counter to Israeli interests: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
The officials mention sustained dissatisfaction with Witkoff. Sources close to the PM Netanyahu told i24NEWS on Saturday evening: “For several months now, the feeling has been that envoy Steve Witkoff has strong ties, for his own reasons, across the Middle East, and that at times the Israeli interest does not truly prevail in his decision-making.”
This criticism relates both to the proposed inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in Gaza’s governing bodies and to the Iranian threat. A senior Israeli official put it bluntly: “If it turns out that he is among those blocking a strike on Iran, that is far more than a coincidence.”
Uncategorized
EU Warns of Downward Spiral After Trump Threatens Tariffs Over Greenland
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on June 17, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Yves Herman
European Union leaders on Saturday warned of a “dangerous downward spiral” over US President Donald Trump‘s vow to implement increasing tariffs on European allies until the US is allowed to buy Greenland.
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa said in posts on X.
The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said tariffs would hurt prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic, while distracting the EU from its “core task” of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among allies,” Kallas said on X.
“Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity. If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO.”
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 countries will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting to discuss their response to the tariff threat.
Uncategorized
Israel Says US Gaza Executive Board Composition Against Its Policy
FILE PHOTO: Displaced Palestinians shelter at a tent camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Haseeb Alwazeer/File Photo
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that this week’s Trump administration announcement on the composition of a Gaza executive board was not coordinated with Israel and ran counter to government policy.
It said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would raise the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The statement did not specify what part of the board’s composition contradicted Israeli policy. An Israeli government spokesperson declined to comment.
The board, unveiled by the White House on Friday, includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Israel has repeatedly opposed any Turkish role in Gaza.
Other members of the executive board include Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process; an Israeli‑Cypriot billionaire; and a minister from the United Arab Emirates, which established relations with Israel in 2020.
Washington this week also announced the start of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s plan, announced in September, to end the war in Gaza. This includes creating a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in the enclave.
The first members of the so-called Board of Peace – to be chaired by Trump and tasked with supervising Gaza’s temporary governance – were also named. Members include Rubio, billionaire developer Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.