Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) — The strong support that Israel received from the United States in its short-lived war against Iran caused “a great change in our region” and could lead to peace, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Tuesday. “The coordination between our two countries — the coordination between an American president and an Israeli prime minister — has been unmatched,” he told reporters following a private meeting with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). “It offers great promise for Israel, for America, for our region and for the wor...
(European Jewish Press via JNS) — “British Jews should leave the U.K. unless the government changes, and the Labour Party is responsible for fueling antisemitism across the country,” Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism told the Daily Mail on Tuesday. “Without a dramatic change of course by Britain’s political leadership, I see no future for Jewish life in England,” he said. “My recommendation to Jews in the U.K. is to consider leaving and make aliyah to the Land of Israel,” Chikli added. He recently gave the same a...
(JNS) — Wikipedia editors decided to roll a page on the “destruction of Israel in Iranian policy,” which garnered more than 62,000 page views in the past 30 days, into a larger article called “Iran-Israel relations.” Experts told JNS that, while discussions were underway on whether to delete the page or combine it with another, it ought to be a standalone article. Max Abrahms, an associate professor of political science at Northeastern University, said at the time that if the page was deleted or merged, “Israel will be less popular, the Islamic...
(JTA) — Earlier this week, Grok, the AI chatbot owned by Elon Musk’s xAI, decided to go full Nazi. Posting on X, it used antisemitic tropes and advocated for a new Holocaust, all the while praising Hitler, calling itself MechaHitler and extolling its own willingness to courageously state the unfettered truth. “Noticing isn’t blaming,” it said, using a term widely adopted by antisemites. On X, the Anti-Defamation League condemned Grok for the “supercharging of extremist rhetoric.” Many others did the same. By that evening, Grok had stopped a...
El Al announces expanded flights into four American markets By Mike Wagenheim (JNS) — Israel’s national airline El Al announced an expansion of its service to the United States, starting this winter. Deeming it a “response to growing demand” from “the business sector, Jewish and Israeli communities,” El Al said it will begin offering 42 direct flights per week reaching four key American destinations. The enhanced service is slated to begin in late October and will include 27 weekly flights to and from New York, six weekly flights to and from...
In his first media interview since his return to Israel, former captive Ofer Kalderon gave a harrowing account of being held hostage in Gaza, the trauma of being separated from his children and his meeting with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, whom the Israel Defense Forces later killed. "You're alive physically, but you feel dead," he told journalist Yael Odem on Israeli Channel 12's "Ulpan Shishi" program aired on Friday night. "Everything you were before - erased." Kalderon, 54, was freed,...
(JNS) — Any ceasefire or post-war arrangement regarding Gaza must meet specific criteria outlined by the government, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said on Sunday. “Three essential goals, as defined by the Cabinet, must be achieved,” Karhi told JNS. “First, the return of all hostages; second, the elimination of Hamas’s governing and military capabilities; and third, ensuring that the Gaza Strip no longer poses a threat to the State of Israel.” He added that, beyond these objectives, U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to r...
(JNS) — The way to prevent the Iranian regime from buying itself more time and securing enough funds to rebuild its nuclear program is to “double down on secondary sanctions, with shipping, so they can’t do their illicit oil sales,” according to Sandra Hagee Parker, chair of the CUFI Action Fund. “Now that they have been brought to their knees, we must put their face to the pavement,” Hagee Parker told JNS. “Now is not the time to let up off the gas.” On Tuesday, thousands of attendees of Christians United for Israel’s 20th annual Washington...
This July the Holocaust Center will continue to offer meaningful programs and experiences, beginning with the Book Clubs discussion of “Jews in the Garden,” by Judy Rakowsky. Held on July 16 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., the group will explore Rakowsky’s family’s Holocaust history after discovering a mass grave in a Polish garden. This memoir traces her quest for justice and truth. The Summer Youth series will continue the Fighting Spirit: Krav Maga and Jewish History with its third session on July 20 from 1 – 2 p.m. Hosted in partnership with Shaan...
Laurence Morrell would like to invite people who have been in the Orlando Jewish community for a long time — 80 years or more — to come together and share their contributions to the Jewish community and what it was like when the Jewish community was coming into being. “I think it would be a nice event and an historical and informational event, something to let newcomers to the area know that some of us just didn’t get “off the train.” A venue and date would be decided if enough interest is shown. If you are interested in this kind of get-toge...
The Holocaust Center presents “A Night at the Catskills Comedy Show” on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 6 p.m at the Dr. Phillips Center. This show is a nostalgic, retro-themed comedy show that pays tribute to the legendary Jewish resorts of the Catskills that launched the careers of some of America’s greatest comedians. Cocktails and light snacks will be available. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit hmrec.org....
Eric S. Goldstein, who has served as CEO of UJA-Federation of New York for 11 years, will step down next summer as the head of North America’s largest and most influential Jewish federation. In a statement Tuesday announcing his departure, Goldstein reflected on a tenure marked by several communal crises, bracketed by two wars in Gaza and including the COVID pandemic. “I remember well my plans for that first summer of 2014. I expected to learn the ropes and ease into the job. History, tragically, had other plans. On June 30, 2014, the bod...
(JNS) — The U.S. military’s recent airstrike under Operation Midnight Hammer has delayed Iran’s nuclear program by up to two years, according to a new Pentagon assessment. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told reporters Wednesday that intelligence assessments continue to confirm the significant damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. “We have degraded their program by at least one to two years—intel assessments inside the [Defense] Department assess that…. I think we’re probably closer to two years,” Parnell stated. T...
(JNS) — Multiple Jewish organizations offered condolences after Karen Diamond, 82, a victim of the antisemitic firebombing in Boulder, Colo., on June 1, died from her injuries. “This horrific act is part of a broader and deeply troubling rise in antisemitic violence across the United States,” the Jewish Federations of North America stated. “It is no longer possible to separate online hate, city hall rhetoric and campus incitement from real-world consequences. Our communities are being targeted—for being Jewish, for speaking out, for simply sh...
“It’s in the open, he doesn’t accept my position, he wants a deal,” Ben-Gvir said during a faction meeting of his Otzma Yehudit Party at the Knesset on Monday afternoon, adding, “I think that’s a big mistake. “We have a disagreement on this subject. We agree on many things — we agreed about [the targeted killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah, we agreed about Iran, we agreed on many things. On this subject, he does not agree with me,” the Cabinet minister told JNS. Netanyahu landed at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington on Mon...
(JNS) — The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency said on Wednesday that intelligence indicates Iran’s nuclear program was “severely damaged” during the 12-day war with Israel. “CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s nuclear program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes,” according to a statement attributed to agency director John Ratcliffe. “This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source indicating that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would...
(JNS) - Argentinian President Javier Milei started his official state visit to Israel on Monday with an emotional pledge at Jerusalem's Western Wall that he will "always stand" with the Jewish state, which he called "the cause of the West." The Argentine leader, who is on his second visit to Israel in as many years and has emerged as one of Israel's most vocal supporters around the globe, reinforced that message at the Jerusalem holy site. "I want you to know that my support for Israel comes fro...
(JNS) — In the aftermath of the direct war between Israel and Iran, the United States is attempting to actively leverage the perceived weakness of Hezbollah’s patron to push for a tangible disarmament process in Lebanon. The American framework, described by international media reports as a “step-for-step” plan, links a potential Israeli withdrawal from disputed border points to the Lebanese Armed Forces taking control of Hezbollah’s remaining arsenal of illegal weapons. This diplomatic initiative is unfolding in a new regional environment. The...
(JNS) — Last Friday, some 250 motorcycle enthusiasts rode 250 miles, from Tel Aviv to northern Israel, along the border with Lebanon, and back. They were demonstrating support for Israel, the Israel Defense Forces and especially communities in the north impacted during the Swords of Iron War by Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist organization. The event was organized by the Rolling Thunder of South Florida motorcycle riders’ club, a pro-Israel U.S.-based group dedicated to strengthening Israel, the U.S.-Israel alliance and combating antis...
The events of Oct. 7, 2023, the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust and a national trauma for Israel, has changed the face of the Middle East. Amid national mourning and societal upheaval, the country’s life sciences and health-tech sectors have responded with remarkable agility and resilience. What could have paralyzed innovation has instead catalyzed it, leading to breakthroughs in clinical care, health technology, and global collaboration. Innovation under pressure In 2024, private investment in Israeli life s...
(JNS) — All 14 Jews the Iranian regime arrested have been released, Iranian opposition activists and journalists told JNS, after news reports last week that the Islamic Republic arrested some 600 people across the country after an announced ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Rosa Parto, an Iranian-Israeli journalist based in Israel, told JNS that a “reliable source,” a Muslim man who works in the Iranian government and is “unfriendly to the regime,” told her that no Jews were arrested in Tehran. “All 14 Jews, who were arrested in the cities...
Jordan boycotts Israel at U19 World Cup, takes technical loss By JNS Staff (JNS) — Jordan handed Israel its second-straight victory during its first-ever participation in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup when the Arab nation decided to boycott Sunday’s match in in Lausanne, Switzerland. Amman’s refusal to compete against Israel over its war against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza gave the Blue and White an automatic 20:0 technical victory, a day after Israel crushed the host country 102-77. Jordan lost 69-79 to the Dominican Republic, the o...
Though he was elected to represent Astoria, Queens in New York’s State Assembly, Zohran Mamdani — who last week pulled off a stunning upset in New York City’s mayoral primary — has called the Palestinian cause “central to my identity,” both in and out of politics. Mamdani consistently and proudly associates with the pro-Palestinian movement in high-profile settings across New York City. Take Saturday night, for instance, when he took the stage with Mahmoud Khalil, the pro-Palestinian protest leader who was detained by the Trump administrat...
(JNS /Israel Hayom)- In a landmark moment for Israeli sports, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected back-to-back by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, making history as the first two Israeli players ever to join the same NBA team. Saraf, a 19-year-old, 6 ft. 6 in. point and shooting guard who is still playing for German club Ratiopharm Ulm, was picked 26th overall by new head coach Jordi Fernandez's rebuilding squad. Immediately thereafter, with the 27th pick, Brooklyn...
(JNS) - Israeli landmarks honored the United States on Sunday with gestures of gratitude following the American military's aerial operation against Iran's nuclear facilities early that morning. The front of the Knesset building was illuminated in red, white and blue, while the ceremonial plaza was adorned with American flags. An honor guard was stationed at the site, with the participation of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. "On behalf of the Knesset, which represents all the citizens of Israel, I...
