World News
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The Pentagon fears the Vatican’s authority in a battle over Christianity’s power
The Vatican has not been a major player on the geopolitical stage in, well, at least a few centuries. The Catholic state is tiny, and has not had a real army or ruled land since, give or take a century, the days of Machiavelli. Nevertheless, in January the Pentagon summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre, then the…
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I’m a Jewish candidate for New York comptroller. Our state must divest from Israel bonds
The New York state and local retirement fund owns $368 million in Israel bonds. Most state pension funds own none. And most New Yorkers have no idea that their tax-funded pension fund, as invested by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, helps finance Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wars. As an American Jew and as a candidate…
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Brad Lander joins call to end U.S. aid to Israel, in quest to replace Rep. Dan Goldman
Brad Lander, a Jewish Democrat running for Congress who has described himself as a liberal Zionist, has joined some progressive House members in calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel. Lander, the former New York City comptroller who ran for mayor last year, is challenging Rep. Dan Goldman, a two-term incumbent, in a…
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Atlanta movie exec who complained of ‘nasty Jews’ is running for Congress
Ryan Millsap, a prominent film and real estate executive in Atlanta who made antisemitic and racist comments in private text messages, is now running for a congressional seat in rural Georgia. ProPublica and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported two years ago that Millsap had sent the offensive texts to a girlfriend. “Just had a meeting with…
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A new book explores the vibrancy of pre-war Warsaw
The Last Woman of Warsaw Judy Batalion Dutton, 336 pages, $30 Don’t be misled by the title of this debut novel by Judy Batalion, nor by her previous book, The Light of Days, about the role of Polish-Jewish women in the anti-Nazi resistance. Though the specter of the Holocaust looms over The Last Woman of…
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Mahmoud Khalil’s anti-Zionist case to Jews shows the case for skepticism
Mahmoud Khalil wants to reassure the Jewish community. In an extensive new interview with the Forward, the pro-Palestinian protest leader recognized “a Jewish connection” to Israel, and promised that a free Palestine would include safety and security for Jewish residents. And yet I read the interview and felt a sense of alarm. Not because Khalil…
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Mahmoud Khalil’s reassurances are bad for Jews but even worse for Palestinians
In his recent interview with the Forward, prominent Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil attempted to address claims that he’s an antisemite, that he supports Hamas, and that as a leader of Columbia’s anti-Israel encampments he helped foster hostility towards Jewish students and Jews generally. Khalil says he’s offended by such claims, but by refusing to say…
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Jonah Hill’s cancel culture dramedy makes an antisemitism exception — all about Kanye
Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, is having an interesting April. Fans are hailing his new album Bully as a return to form. (Critics are more mixed.) He reportedly made $33 million from two sold-out shows in Los Angeles, but he was also banned from entering the U.K. owing to a pressure campaign…
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60% of Americans have an unfavorable view of Israel, up sharply since 2022, survey shows
(JTA) — Six in 10 Americans say they have a very or somewhat unfavorable view of Israel, up 20 points since 2022, according to a new Pew Research Center survey released this week. About half of them say they have a “very unfavorable” view of Israel, a proportion that has tripled in the last four…
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Iran ceasefire teeters as IDF continues to pound Hezbollah in Lebanon, Strait of Hormuz stays closed
(JTA) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance is headed to Pakistan on Friday for in-person talks to reach a permanent end to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran — with Israel’s continued campaign against the Iranian proxy Hezbollah a certain topic of discussion. Israel and the United States have maintained that the deal struck between Iran…
