Weekly roundup of world briefs

Israeli forces evacuate Samaria outpost; Four arrested

(JNS) — Members of Israel’s coalition expressed anger on Wednesday after Israeli security forces evacuated a Jewish outpost erected near the community of Ma’ale Michmash in Samaria. Four Jews were arrested during the evacuation.

Dozens of police and Civil Administration inspectors cleared out residential structures and an animal pen built on the hill. 

The outpost, Givat Sde Yonatan, established a few months ago in the Binyamin region of southern Samaria, sits on private Palestinian land. 

Elisha Yered, a former spokesman for the Otzma Yehudit Party, is one of the founders. Yered was arrested in August on suspicion of involvement in the killing of Kosai Ma’atan, 19, from the Arab village of Burqa. He was later released.

“While dozens of policemen and Civil Administration inspectors were destroying everything that came to hand, on a nearby hill the Arabs from the village of Deir Dibwan opposite, who are trying in every way to remove the strategic hill, celebrated with joyous cheers that someone was doing the work for them,” Yered tweeted.

Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech of the Otzma Yehudit Party, took to X, formerly Twitter, to criticize another member of the coalition, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism Party, who is also in charge of civilian matters in Judea and Samaria:

“What’s gives Bezalel? Police forces and civil administration are now wreaking havoc on Givat Sde Yonatan in Binyamin. The youth building is being evacuated, the goat pen is being torn to pieces and all the equipment is being confiscated and put on a truck. Our right-wing government has apparently forgotten what it was elected for,” she wrote.

Givat Sde Yonatan has already been evacuated several times by the Civil Administration, Israel Hayom reported. 

The Israel Defense Forces says that the hill is far from other communities and that its residents are in danger.

“This is an illegal outpost, whose location endangers its occupants,” an IDF spokesperson said. 

The residents strongly reject the claims.

Fox News reporter embeds with IDF unit during Tulkarm raid

The IDF forces engaged Palestinian gunmen and shut down an IED factory.

(JNS) — As Israeli Defense Forces troops moved into the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm camp early on Sunday morning following a tip about terrorists manufacturing explosives, a U.S. journalist and his cameraman were right on their heels.

“Right now the Palestinians are engaged in a gunfight inside the refugee camp,” reported Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst. “We’ve got to move quickly.”

Yingst described how roadside bombs impede the progress of Israeli forces, which use bulldozers to rip up roadways for this reason.

As the Israeli troops began making their way through the refugee camp, mosque loudspeakers blasted, alerting residents to their presence.

“Right now, the Israeli military is in a firefight with Palestinian militants in a refugee camp,” said Yingst, holding his hands to his ears as the shooting intensified. During the battle, the IDF killed two Palestinian fighters.

Yingst described how IDF soldiers moved from house to house clearing the people there as part of the night’s operation. At one point, under a civilian home, the troops located a room filled with IEDs and supplies for building them, and across the hall, through a booby-trapped doorway, they find extensive surveillance monitors.

That morning a controlled demolition destroyed the building and the Palestinians held funerals for those killed, one of whom was a Hamas jihadist.

Ambulance Chicago donor gifted to Israel ends up leading his funeral

(JNS) — Harry Greenwald, a leading plastics entrepreneur and U.S. Navy veteran, and his wife Brenda Kolar donated an ambulance to Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency service.

The philanthropist, 93, had hoped to see the vehicle, which was built in Indiana, before it traveled to Israel, but it was not completed before he died. The ambulance ended up leading his funeral procession on Sept. 9 at Shalom Memorial Park in Arlington Heights, Ill.

“Harry and Brenda cared deeply about the Jewish people and Israel,” Brad Kolar, Greenwald’s stepson, said in his eulogy. “They gave to many causes, but the most important gift Harry ever gave was an ambulance for Magen David Adom. This ambulance will literally save lives,” he said.

Jennifer Elvey Schnepper, senior development executive for Illinois and Wisconsin at American Friends of Magen David Adom, said “it is especially meaningful to see the way Harry’s children and grandchildren are continuing to champion this cause. His memory is truly a blessing.”

Stav Festival to fuse Israeli art, stage and musical performances

(JNS) — The Israeli Artists Project is holding the Stav Festival, named after the Hebrew word for “fall,” from Sept. 28 through Oct. 29 in New York City.

With participation from 100-plus Israeli artists, the program offers a mix of theatrical plays, live music performances, an art exhibit, children’s activities and interactive workshops.

“It is strategically timed around the Jewish holidays,” according to the project’s founder, Yoni Vendriger, “a period when New York City sees an influx of tourists and locals alike seeking cultural experiences. While the festival is deeply rooted in Israeli culture, its appeal is universal. We aim to bridge cultural gaps and invite everyone, irrespective of their background. It’s not just about appealing to those familiar with Israeli culture but also introducing and celebrating it with a broader audience.”

Among the selections, the award-winning “Best Friends” by Anat Gov—the longest-running comedy in Israel—clinched the Israel National Theater Award for Best Comedy in 1999. Not just limited to Hebrew, the play will also be presented in English.

Also on tap is the premiere of the New York version of “The Holylander,” four short stories offering a glimpse into how the Israeli “Generation Y” navigates identity and belonging, realizing that Israel remains not just a geographical location but a state of mind.

Vendriger says the artists are driven by a shared vision: “to showcase the depth, diversity and dynamism of Israeli culture. Through their performances, they hope to challenge stereotypes, foster understanding and build bridges between different communities. They aim to present Israel beyond the headlines, highlighting its rich artistic heritage and contemporary creativity.”

The full program is available at: www.stavfestival.org.

Socialist legislators protest Netanyahu during New York visit to UN

(JNS) — As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected with leaders from around the world last week at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, protesters emerged to voice their objections, including some elected officials.

On Sept. 22 in Midtown Manhattan, an estimated 3,000 people showed up to protest in an event coordinated by Jewish Voice for Peace, Adalah Justice Project and other groups.

New York state Sen. Jabari Brisport and state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, members of the Democratic Socialists of America that supportsthe BDS movement against Israel, spoke at the protests.

Brisport, who has previously put forward legislation with Mamdani to bar New York charities from involvement with Israelis in the West Bank, explained that “in Brooklyn, we have a saying: ‘Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way.’ Netanyahu has spread hate and displacement. And that has no place in our city.”

Mamdani said “earlier today, someone asked me: ‘Why should New Yorkers care about what’s happening halfway across the world in Israel?’ There are 3.8 billion reasons for us to care, same as the number of dollars that go from the U.S. to Israel in military aid every year.”

Canadian official resigns, Poland seeks extradition of Nazi veteran honored by Ottawa

(JNS) — Anthony Rota, the speaker of Canada’s House of Commons who apologized on Sunday for honoring a Ukrainian man who fought in a Nazi unit, has resigned, the Associated Press reported.

“Just after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him,” per the AP. “Rota introduced Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.”

It later emerged that the division in question was Waffen-SS Galicia Division, a voluntary unit under Nazi command.

“I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognizing an individual in the House during the joint address to Parliament of President Zelenskyy,” Rota said.

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center welcomed the resignation.

“Although important questions remain as to how this debacle occurred, Anthony Rota’s stepping down is the correct decision in the aftermath of the hurt this incident has caused to Canada’s Jewish community, Holocaust survivors, veterans and other victims of the Nazi regime,” stated Michael Levitt, president and CEO of the FSWC. “It’s also paramount that Parliament investigates this incident and shares the results with all Canadians.”

“This incident also reminds us of Canada’s shameful past in not only failing to hold accountable thousands of Nazi war criminals involved in the Holocaust but granting them safe haven and allowing them to live out their lives in comfort and security in Canada,” Levitt added.

Israel facing ’dozens’ of terror threats ahead of Sukkot

(JNS) — As Israel prepares for the Sukkot holiday, the country’s security services are still confronting “dozens” of Palestinian terrorist plots every day, Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai warned on Tuesday.

“We are still very much on alert for the Tishrei holidays, with dozens of warnings and intentions to carry out terrorist attacks [being detected],” Shabtai said during a briefing with senior police staff.

The week-long Sukkot festival (Feast of Tabernacles) starts at sundown on Friday and will see tens and thousands of Jewish worshippers flock to the Western Wall for the traditional Priestly Blessing.

“I am asking everyone today to refresh procedures on the ground, for high vigilance, quick response to events, and visibility and presence in crowded places. The general quiet is deceptive and can change in an instant,” Shabtai instructed officers.

The fast of Yom Kippur, which was observed from Sunday night to Monday night, passed without any terrorist attacks, Israel’s top cop noted as he praised the Israel Police, IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).

On Sept. 13, in a press briefing ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Jerusalem District Police Commander Doron Turgeman first warned of “an increase in warnings and actionable threats of all types, also during the days of Selichot [penitential prayers], on weekdays and holidays.”

Every synagogue in Jerusalem will be guarded by armed security personnel this High Holiday season, Turgeman told reporters, adding that since the beginning of 2023, police have thwarted 31 attempted attacks in the holy city.

Special efforts are being made to maintain the fragile calm on the Temple Mount in the Old City, Judaism’s holiest site, which sees an uptick in Jewish pilgrims over the holiday season, said Turgeman.

Thousands of Israel Police officers, Border Police officers and security volunteers have been deployed to guard Israel’s holy places, recreational sites, parks, beaches and roads.

Israel nabs Palestinian students plotting ‘imminent’ attack

(JNS) — Three`cf`Israeli security forces on Sunday arrested eight Palestinian students from Birzeit University, located near Ramallah, on suspicion of planning an imminent terror attack.

The terrorists were nabbed following a months-long investigation into Hamas’s efforts to recruit Palestinians at educational institutions, according to the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).

Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip recruited the students and provided them with weaponry for the intended attack. Some of the would-be terrorists confessed to the plot, Israeli authorities said.

Last week, the deputy chiefs of Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Saleh al-Arouri and Jamil Mazhar, respectively, called for a full-blown intifada, or terror war.

“The Palestinian Authority must return to the intifada to achieve national unity and resolve the Palestinian question on national and democratic grounds,” Israeli media cited them as saying during a meeting in Beirut.

Hamas is simultaneously orchestrating riots along the border with the Gaza Strip, typically involving a few hundred Palestinians throwing explosives and other objects at Israeli forces manning the frontier, as well as burning tires.

Rice University’s PRIDE group cuts ties with Houston Hillel

(JNS) — The LGBTQ student group Rice PRIDE at Rice University in Houston announced that it has chosen to disassociate itself from Houston Hillel, the Jewish organization on campus.

Rice PRIDE acknowledges that Houston Hillel has co-sponsored events and even helped fund the Queer Resource Center, but points to Hillel International policies that prohibit individual chapters from supporting events or speakers that promote the hatred of Israel or Jews.

As such, the group says it is making “an effort to include Palestinian and Arab students who did not feel comfortable or safe engaging with PRIDE.”

“Disassociating from Rice’s largest organization of Jewish students reeks of antisemitism. Rice PRIDE admits that its decision had nothing to do with Rice Hillel’s strong support of LGBTQ students or issues,” says Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism. “Instead, it stemmed from objections to Hillel International’s stipulation that their chapters not co-sponsor events with those who call for the elimination of the world’s only Jewish state.”

She adds that her organization has called on the administration of Rice University to investigate whether the exclusion violates club rules — “and to condemn it regardless.”

US imposes sanctions on network supplying Iran’s drone program

(JNS) — A group associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operating in Iran, China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates was sanctioned on Wednesday by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Together, five entities and two individuals have supplied parts for Iran’s one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicle program. Some of these drones have been utilized against Ukraine, as Tehran has chosen to support Russian President Vladimir Putin in the war launched in February 2022.

The entities named by Treasury as sanctioned include Iran’s Pishgam Electronic Safeh Company; the Hong Kong-based Hongkong Himark Electron Model Limited; the UAE-based Farhad Ghaedi Goods Wholesalers LLC; and the two Turkey-based companies Dal Enerji Madencilik Turizm Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi and Anka Port Ic Ve Dis Ticaret INSAAT Lojistik Sanayi Limited Şirketi.

The two people sanctioned are Yang Fan, also known as “Cathy,” a 38-year-old woman from Zhuhai, China; and Hamid Reza Janghorbani, 50, of Isfahan, Iran.

“Iranian-made UAVs continue to be a key tool for Russia in its attacks in Ukraine, including those that terrorize Ukrainian citizens and attack its critical infrastructure,” said Brian E. Nelson, the undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence. “The United States, in coordination with our allies and partners, will persist in holding accountable those who contribute to Iran’s proliferation of its UAVs to Russia, its proxies in the Middle East and other destabilizing actors.”

Group of Jews, including some leaders, tells Musk to ‘X out hate’

(JNS) — Some 100 Jews, including recognizable leaders, have penned a letter to business magnate Elon Musk telling him to “X out hate” on the social-media platform he now owns.

“As Jewish leaders of all backgrounds, current and former leaders of Jewish organizations, artists and activists from all over the country, we have watched in horror as a new stage in antisemitic discourse has spread like wildfire on one of America’s largest social-media networks,” the group wrote.

Under Musk, X has become a “breeding ground for some of the most dangerous antisemitic discourse in America,” according to the group.

They asked governments and companies to stop partnering with Musk, “who spreads neo-Nazi ideology,” and told Disney, Apple, Amazon and other major advertisers to boycott the company and Apple and Google to remove the X app from their stores.

Among the signatories are author and Orthodox Rabbi Yitz Greenberg; former New York City politician Ruth Messinger; Dov Waxman, chair of the Israel Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles; and American-born Israeli writer David Hazony.