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Orthodox prospect Jacob Steinmetz shines for Team Israel in World Baseball Classic loss
MIAMI (JTA) — The final result wasn’t pretty for Israel, but it almost didn’t matter. This night belongs to Jacob Steinmetz.
The 19-year-old Woodmere, New York, native and the first Orthodox Jew to be drafted into Major League Baseball, Steinmetz took the ball for Israel against the Dominican Republic Tuesday in a 10-0 loss in the World Baseball Classic.
The Dominican lineup features big league superstars like Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Rafael Devers and others. Steinmetz entered the game with only 25.1 innings of experience in professional baseball, all in the Arizona Complex League with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He became the fourth youngest player to start a WBC game.
You wouldn’t know it. Steinmetz struck out three batters, including Machado, a six-time All-Star, and Jeremy Peña, the 2022 World Series most valuable player. He gave up two hits and one run in an inning and a third while facing the Dominicans’ entire lineup.
19-year-old Jacob Steinmetz, the first known practicing Orthodox Jewish player drafted in MLB history, struck out 3 in his #WorldBaseballClassic debut. pic.twitter.com/s0HSjJceME
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 15, 2023
“It was awesome,” Steinmetz said after the game. “Coming out here in front of a sold-out stadium, with all the Dominican fans and the Israel fans, was something that I’ll never forget.”
Steinmetz said he felt nerves while warming up and coming out to the field. But once he stepped onto the mound, “it’s just a regular baseball game.”
Steinmetz’s performance ignited Jewish baseball Twitter, with fans marveling at the opportunity to watch the Orthodox prospect on national television. The Israel Baseball Twitter account churned out post after post about the young pitcher.
here’s a full string of the Jacob Steinmetz highlights for your viewing pleasure pic.twitter.com/qSVNfUWs4h
— Israel Baseball (@ILBaseball) March 15, 2023
“It was just unbelievably surreal to watch a kid from our community pitching to those caliber of players on such a big stage,” said Simmy Cohen, an Orthodox sports fan from New Jersey. “I think a lot of the fans were more nervous than he was. But he kept his composure and showed excellent stuff. I was extremely impressed.”
Steinmetz said the support means a lot to him.
“Just seeing all that is awesome, knowing there will always be people behind me,” he said.
Israel manager Ian Kinsler said the start was an important confidence booster for Steinmetz.
“You saw the talent that he has tonight,” Kinsler said. “It’s a good experience for him, the loudest environment he’s ever going to pitch in.”
Tuesday was otherwise a forgettable night for Israel. Held to only one hit a day after being no-hit, Israel lost in seven innings in a second consecutive game ended early by the WBC mercy rule. Israeli batters struck out 10 times.
Israel will face Venezuela tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET in its final WBC game, with Robert Stock starting.
With Nicaragua’s loss earlier Tuesday, Israel will officially finish above last place in Pool D, meaning it won’t advance in this year’s tournament but will automatically qualify for the 2026 WBC.
“That’s big for the organization,” Kinsler said.
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The post Orthodox prospect Jacob Steinmetz shines for Team Israel in World Baseball Classic loss appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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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.”
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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.
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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.