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Vatican investigates Swiss Guard for alleged spitting gesture at Jewish women
(JTA) — The Vatican is investigating a member of its Swiss Guards, who protect the pope, for allegedly making a spitting gesture at two Jewish women.
The women were part of an international Jewish delegation attending a conference with Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 29. The event marked the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the landmark 1965 doctrinal declaration that recognized the legitimacy of non-Christian religions, rejected the centuries-old accusation that the Jews killed Christ and condemned antisemitism.
Michal Govrin, a prominent Israeli writer and theater director, said she and a colleague encountered the guard as they entered St. Peter’s Square. She was with Vivian Liska, the New York City-born director of the Institute of Jewish Studies at the University of Antwerp.
In an interview with the Austrian news agency Kathpress last week, Govrin said the guard hissed “les juifs” (the Jews) at them with “deep contempt” and made “an act of spitting in our direction.”
Govrin said that she and Liska looked at each other in shock. “Such an incident in the Vatican of all places? A blatant expression of Jew-hatred in stark contrast to the Pope’s words the previous evening,” she said.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said on Monday that the guard was placed under an internal investigation over the reported incident, in which “elements were observed that could be interpreted as antisemitic.” Bruni also said the alleged incident arose from an argument over a person asking for a photo of the Swiss Guard.
On the same day, Pope Leo said to his audience, “It should not be forgotten that the first focus of Nostra Aetate was towards the Jewish world.” He added to a long applause, “The Church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself.”
Leo, a Chicago native, was elected in May after the death of Pope Francis. Like his predecessor, he has decried antisemitism while condemning Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians and the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. But he has stopped short of accusing Israel of “genocide,” a charge leveled by Francis that drew the Catholic Church into conflict with Israeli leaders.
The episode comes amid tensions within Catholicism between the mainstream church, which cherishes Nostra Aetate, and a more conservative strain that seeks to preserve the liturgy and ideas of the pre-1965 church.
Govrin said the Nostra Aetate anniversary sparked “much hope and courage” despite her experience with the Swiss Guard.
“I felt that religion can be an enormous and powerful factor in creating a peaceful and accepting world, as it reaches people all over the world and touches the heart of humanity,” she said.
The post Vatican investigates Swiss Guard for alleged spitting gesture at Jewish women appeared first on The Forward.
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US Strikes More Than 90 Iranian Military Targets on Kharg Island, CENTCOM Says
A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. Photo: 2026 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS
United States forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island in Iran on Friday night, the US Central Command said on Saturday.
“US forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure,” CENTCOM said.
The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, the US military said in a post on X.
President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to strike the oil infrastructure of Iran’s Kharg Island hub, unless Tehran stopped attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
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North Korea Fires Ten Ballistic Missiles Toward the Sea of Japan
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and wife Ri Sol Ju inspect an honour guard before leaving Pyongyang for a visit to China, this January 7, 2019 photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang January 8, 2019. Photo: KCNA via REUTERS.
i24 News – North Korea fired roughly ten ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday, the South Korean military reported, marking a new act of defiance amid Seoul and Washington’s annual joint military exercises.
The launches, originating from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, were detected around 1:20 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The missiles were directed toward the East Sea—the Korean name for the Sea of Japan—though details on their range or trajectory were not immediately available. Earlier, the South Korean Ministry of Defense had already confirmed the launch of at least one unidentified projectile in the same area.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense also verified the incident, noting that a suspected ballistic missile had been launched from North Korea.
The launches come amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Since Monday, the United States and South Korea have been conducting their annual joint exercises, which will continue through March 19 and involve approximately 18,000 South Korean troops alongside an unspecified number of U.S. forces.
Pyongyang has sharply criticized the drills, calling them a rehearsal for invasion. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned this week that the exercises could trigger “terrible and unimaginable consequences.”
The missile tests also coincide with fading prospects for inter-Korean dialogue. Kim Jong-un recently dismissed outreach efforts from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, labeling Seoul “the most hostile enemy.”
The show of force occurred just hours after South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, during a visit to the United States, mentioned a potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un—a meeting Washington still considers possible.
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Dutch Authorities Investigate Explosion at Jewish School Claimed by Extremist Group
Police outside a Jewish school following an explosion that caused minor damages, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 14, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
i24 News – An explosion struck a Jewish school on Zeelandstraat in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert during the night between Friday and Saturday, Dutch authorities confirmed. Emergency responders, including police and firefighters, acted swiftly, and officials reported that the building suffered only limited damage. No injuries have been reported.
Mayor Femke Halsema described the incident as a deliberate attack against the Jewish community in the city, emphasizing that the authorities are treating the case “very seriously.” Security camera footage showing the individual who detonated the device is under investigation.
In an unverified online video, previously little-known group identifying itself as Ashab Al Yamim later claimed responsibility for the blast. The group released online footage appearing to show the small explosion followed by a fire outside the school. Its logo was also seen in videos related to an attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam earlier this week.
Dutch investigators are coordinating with the judiciary to determine the full circumstances of the attack and whether additional suspects were involved. Authorities noted that the organization had not been previously known to security services.
The explosion comes amid rising security concerns for Jewish institutions across Europe, following heightened tensions in the Middle East. The group behind the claim has also alleged responsibility for previous incidents targeting Jewish sites in Europe, including attacks in Liège, Belgium, and Rotterdam, though these claims remain unverified.
Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centers across the continent have stepped up security measures in recent weeks amid fears of potential threats to Jewish communities.