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The Jewish Sport Report: American football is on the rise in Israel
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Hello, Jewish sports fans!
The Australian Open is in full swing. Here’s how each of the players we mentioned last week have fared so far:
Madison Brengle: Lost in the first round in both singles and doubles.
Taylor Fritz: Eliminated after a second round upset on Wednesday.
Camila Giorgi: Faces No. 12 Belinda Bencic in the third round tonight. Giorgi is weathering criticism over an alleged falsified vaccine card.
Aslan Karatsev: Out after losing in the first round in both singles and doubles.
Diego Schwartzman: Upset in the second round in singles; lost in the first round in doubles.
Denis Shapovalov: Defeated by No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz in the third round today.
And then there was one…
‘Hebrew in the Huddle’
American football is gaining steam in Israel. (Doron Dotan)
Basketball and soccer are hands-down the most popular sports in Israel, but another game is gaining steam across the country: American football.
American Football in Israel (AFI) kicks off its latest season this week, with around 2,000 players, coaches and referees involved throughout the country.
The sport has been supported by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who learned about Israeli football through a chance encounter in the lobby of the King David Hotel in 1999. He has since sponsored leagues, donated millions of dollars to build stadiums and remains an active presence in the development of the game.
For AFI president Steve Leibowitz, the current state of the sport represents a culmination of three decades of work.
“The craziness was sticking with it all these years, for over 30 years, and making it into a life ambition to establish the sport in Israel, because I think it’s a good sport. I think it has a place in this country,” Leibowitz told me. “I think we’ve proven that. And together with that we’ve created a community. So at this point, I can’t even leave if I wanted to, because I’m like the grandfather, except they still make me suit up and play on old timers’ days.”
Learn more about the history — and future — of Israeli football.
Halftime report
FIGHTING BACK. At some Brooklyn gyms, the idea of combating antisemitism has taken on a more literal meaning. The New York Jewish Week reports that many Jews in the New York borough have taken up krav maga, the Israeli martial art, to help defend themselves from attacks.
NOT ON OUR WATCH. The English Premier League club Arsenal is investigating two antisemitic incidents that occurred in and around the stadium last weekend. “We recognise the impact this behaviour has on our many Jewish supporters and others and condemn the use of language of this nature, which has no place in our game or society,” the club said in a statement.
BIRD IN THE RAFTERS. The Seattle Storm announced they will retire Sue Bird’s No. 10 jersey in June. The WNBA legend retired after this past season, concluding a remarkable career that spanned continents and included countless accolades.
BREAKING JEWS: The Jewish baseball world was sent into a frenzy this week when we learned that Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease was considering playing for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic — meaning he was eligible for Israeli citizenship. Cease confirmed to the Forward that his father’s family is Jewish, adding, “I don’t necessarily identify as it, but acknowledge it’s in my ancestry.”
WELCOME TO THE CLUB. One player who does identify as Jewish is Philadelphia Phillies rookie Dalton Guthrie, who is the latest MLB player to be confirmed as Jewish by Jewish Baseball News.
Jews in sports to watch this weekend
IN TENNIS…
Italian Jewish tennis star Camila Giorgi plays in the third round of the Australian Open tonight, tentatively scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET, but check the tournament website for the most up-to-date timing.
IN HOCKEY…
Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks take on Zach Hyman and the Edmonton Oilers Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. On Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, watch Jason Zucker and the Pittsburgh Penguins face off against Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils.
IN BASKETBALL…
Deni Avdija and the Washington Wizards host the Orlando Magic tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET. Motor City Cruise Orthodox prospect Ryan Turell does not have a game this weekend, but you can vote for Turell to play in the new G League Next Up game during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. And while you’re at it, vote for Avdija for the NBA All-Star Game, too.
And the 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees are…
The results of the 2023 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot will be announced Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET on MLB Network. There are no Jewish candidates this year, but the man sharing the results is Josh Rawitch, the Jewish president of the Hall — who I profiled for JTA last year.
—
The post The Jewish Sport Report: American football is on the rise in Israel appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan calls Israeli government ‘evil’ like Hamas
Abdul El-Sayed, a U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, said in an interview aired Sunday that the Israeli government is as “evil” as Hamas, sharpening his criticism of Israel in the closely-watched Democratic primary.
“Killing tens of thousands of people makes you pretty damn evil,” El-Sayed told CNN congressional reporter Manu Raja on the network’s Inside Politics program. “It’s not how evil is this one versus that one — Hamas: Evil, Israeli government: Evil. We can say both.”
El-Sayed, 41, is a physician and the son of Egyptian immigrants. He is seeking to channel the energy of the 2024 Uncommitted movement, which protested the Biden administration’s support for Israel in the war against Hamas in Gaza. He is also hoping to build on the surprise success of the New York City mayoral campaign of Zohran Mamdani in taking on the Democratic establishment.
He is locked in a dead heat with state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Rep. Haley Stevens. The primary is set for Aug. 4.
Earlier this month, El-Sayed faced backlash for appearing alongside streamer Hasan Piker, who has been accused of antisemitic rhetoric — including saying that Hamas “is a thousand times better” than Israel. McMorrow, who is married to a Jewish man, and Stevens, who is closely aligned with AIPAC, have both criticized El-Sayed.
In the CNN interview, El-Sayed defended his decision to campaign with Piker, framing it as an effort to reach voters who feel alienated from traditional politics. “My understanding of America is, it’s a place where we have freedom of speech,” he said.
#MISen Abdul El-Sayed on CNN Inside Politics: @mkraju: You said Israeli government is evil. Do you think they’re just as evil as Hamas?
El-Sayed: “Yes, killing tens of thousands of people makes you pretty damn evil. It’s not about how evil one is versus the other. Hamas —… pic.twitter.com/4GfJ5oCtqR
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) April 19, 2026
The Michigan Senate race is shaping up as one of the starkest tests of the Democratic coalition and how the party navigates policy towards Israel in Congress amid the wars in Gaza and Iran. The state is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the United States.
Last week, 40 Senate Democrats voted to block $295 million for the transfer of bulldozers, used by the Israeli military to demolish homes in the West Bank and Gaza; 36 of them also supported a measure to block the sale of 1,000-pound bombs to the Jewish state. It shattered a previous high of 27 Democrats who backed a similar pair of resolutions of disapproval to block some weapons transfers last year.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who is Jewish, was among those who voted for the measures. In remarks as they announced their votes, Democrats highlighted their opposition to the Israeli government’s policies in the occupied West Bank, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the war with Iran.
The post U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan calls Israeli government ‘evil’ like Hamas appeared first on The Forward.
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NYC Mayor Mamdani Unveils Major Tax Hike on Unoccupied Luxury Real Estate
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani holds a press conference at the New York City Office of Emergency Management, as a major winter storm spreads across a large swath of the United States, in Brooklyn, New York City, US, Jan. 25, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Bing Guan
i24 News – NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani has officially introduced a controversial new tax targeting secondary residences valued at over $5 million.
The measure, designed to tap into the city’s vast concentration of unoccupied luxury wealth, is projected to generate roughly $500 million annually for the municipal budget.
“This tax is specifically aimed at the ultra-rich,” Mamdani stated, highlighting high-profile examples such as Ken Griffin’s $238 million Midtown penthouse and Alexander Varshavsky’s $20.5 million Columbus Circle residence.
While the city has yet to finalize specific evaluation criteria or the methods for distinguishing primary from secondary homes, the proposal has already become a flashpoint for economic debate.
The move has drawn sharp condemnation from billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who argued that the policy is fundamentally flawed.
Ackman contended that owners of luxury secondary residences contribute significant capital to the local economy without utilizing costly municipal services. He warned that the tax would likely trigger a corporate and high-net-worth exodus to low-tax jurisdictions like Miami, ultimately harming the city’s tax base.
President Donald Trump also entered the fray, denouncing the policy as “totally misguided” and claiming it is “destroying New York.” Trump, whose own extensive real estate holdings in the city could be impacted, argued that such taxation serves only to drive away the international investors who fuel New York’s development.
Implementation remains a significant question mark, as the tax could potentially affect nearly 13,000 property owners, including major figures like Jeff Bezos. Financial analysts point out that many of the city’s most expensive apartments are held through complex offshore structures and shell companies, making the identification and appraisal of these properties an immense administrative challenge for the city.
As the debate intensifies, the Mamdani administration faces a difficult path ahead in balancing its “tax the rich” mandate with the practical realities of New York’s competitive global real estate market.
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Iran Rebuffs Trump Announcement of New Peace Talks, State News Agency Reports
Iran rejected new peace talks with the United States, its state news agency reported on Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump said he was sending envoys for talks in Pakistan and would launch new strikes on Iran unless it accepts his terms.
Trump posted on Truth Social that his envoys would arrive in Pakistan on Monday evening for negotiations, a timetable that would leave only a day for talks to make progress before a two-week ceasefire ends.
“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he wrote. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
Iran’s official IRNA news agency cited no specific source in its report that Iran had rejected the talks.
“Iran stated that its absence from the second round of talks stems from what it called Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire,” IRNA wrote.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Iran’s rejection of the talks.
Earlier, a White House official said the US delegation would be headed by Vice President JD Vance, who led the war’s first peace talks a week ago, and also include Trump’s envoy Steven Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump had initially told ABC News and MS Now that Vance would not go.