World News
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Arafat’s Nephew Returns to West Bank with Plan for Post-War Gaza
A Palestinian politician Nasser al-Qudwa speaks during an interview with Reuters in Ramallah in the West Bank. October 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Tom Perry. A nephew of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has returned to the West Bank after four years of self-exile, outlining a roadmap to secure peace in Gaza with Hamas transforming into a…
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With hostages home, the filmmaker behind ‘Torn’ says his documentary about NYC’s poster wars remains sadly relevant
(JTA) — What caught Nim Shapira’s eye when videos of New Yorkers tearing down posters of Israeli hostages began circulating in October 2023 wasn’t just the stark affront. It was also the poles the posters had been attached to. “I recognized every corner,” he said. “This was my neighborhood.” The filmmaker had never before turned…
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Meet the 83-year-old Jewish activist who stars in Zohran Mamdani’s campaign ads
(JTA) — When Zohran Mamdani’s first TV ad of the general election went live last week, the first person viewers saw was an 83-year-old Jewish woman from the Upper West Side. Rosalind Petchesky, a retired political scientist and progressive activist, has become a recurring star of Mamdani’s social media video campaign, which is widely seen…
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Gaza Ceasefire Outlook Darkens as Israel Delays Aid and Hamas Tightens Grip
Red Cross vehicles escort a truck transporting the bodies of Palestinians who had been held in Israel during the war, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed Israel delayed aid into Gaza and kept the enclave’s border shut on Tuesday, while…
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Project Esther created a blueprint for Trump to fight antisemitism. The ‘Shofar Report’ is a liberal response.
Most American Jews have taken a dim view of the Trump administration’s approach to fighting antisemitism, saying his policies are disingenuous and prone to exacerbate the problem rather than solve it. But beyond rejecting the crackdown on universities, liberal Jews have lacked a singular blueprint for fighting antisemitism akin to what the conservative Heritage Foundation…
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The Trump administration is targeting Jewish organizations — what are we prepared to do?
Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh La’Zeh, goes the aphorism: All Jews are responsible for one another. Well, now we’re about to find out if it’s true. Even as American Jews celebrate the long-yearned-for release of Israeli hostages, some in our community are being threatened by the Trump administration, which has promised to investigate and prosecute nine…
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Hamas releases remains of just 4 deceased hostages, leaving 24 still unaccounted for
(JTA) — Hours after freeing 20 living hostages to a jubilant Israel, Hamas released the remains of four deceased hostages — far fewer than the 28 it is holding and obligated under the terms of the ceasefire to release. The group had already indicated that it was not prepared to release all of the deceased…
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Why there are new laws shaping how schools teach about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Teachers, parents and schools have long debated what students should learn about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But lesson plans have typically been discussed in PTA gatherings, faculty meetings, and curriculum committees — not determined by legislation. That’s changing, as new laws around the country seek to regulate how narratives about the conflict are taught. The measures…
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Kamala Harris on whether Israel committed genocide: ‘We should all step back and ask this question’
(JTA) — Former Vice President Kamala Harris held back from labeling Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide” on Sunday but said it was an appropriate question. “A lot of folks in your party have called what’s happening in Gaza a genocide. Do you agree with that?” correspondent Eugene Daniels asked Harris during an interview on…
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Jews let go of hostage rituals with gratitude and grief
(JTA) — Like most synagogues, Congregation Beth El in South Orange, New Jersey added new rituals after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that killed 1,200 in Israel, saw another 251 taken hostage and launched a grinding war between Israel and Hamas. The Conservative congregation hung a “bring them home now” sign out front on behalf…
