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The Detroit Pistons have a message for Kyrie Irving after his antisemitism scandal: ‘Happy Hanukkah’
(JTA) — The Detroit Pistons wished Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving a happy Hanukkah Sunday night, the first night of the holiday.
The Pistons appeared to be trolling Irving, who recently shared an antisemitic film on Twitter and initially refused to apologize.
The scoreboard displayed both a spinning globe and a Hanukkah graphic with a menorah while he was at the free throw line.
The former is in reference to previous comments the controversial All-Star has made about the earth being flat. The latter appeared to be a pointed reference to the recent antisemitism scandal.
The Pistons’ scoreboard put up graphics during last night’s game against the Nets, aimed at Kyrie Irving.
It featured a spinning globe, followed by a Happy Hanukkah sign when Irving was shooting his free throws.
(: @RWoloshin, via @VinceGoodwill) pic.twitter.com/NAeb6xfqZM
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 19, 2022
Irving was suspended for eight games in November after he tweeted an Amazon link to “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” a documentary that promotes the false idea that Jews were heavily involved in the Atlantic slave trade, denies the Holocaust and says Black people are the real Jews.
Irving initially refused to apologize, saying “I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from.” In addition to his suspension, Irving lost his deal with sportswear giant Nike.
Irving ultimately apologized, multiple times. As he returned to the Nets on Nov. 20, he said, “I don’t stand for anything close to hate speech or antisemitism.” That same day, a group of Black Hebrew Israelites rallied outside Barclays Center, echoing themes presented in the film.
Irving and the Nets got the last laugh Sunday, defeating the Pistons 124-121. Brooklyn has won nine of its past 10 games.
Also this season, the Pistons have helped celebrate the ascension of Orthodox Jewish prospect Ryan Turell, who plays for the organization’s minor league affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. The team has offered kosher hot dogs at the Cruise arena, hosted a Jewish Heritage Night and more. Turell, who has attracted dozens of Jewish fans to Cruise games, has been sporting a Pistons-branded yarmulke.
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The post The Detroit Pistons have a message for Kyrie Irving after his antisemitism scandal: ‘Happy Hanukkah’ 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.