Jewish Political Briefing: Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025

By Donald H. Harrison in San Diego

We encourage our readers to follow the links below to the stories that attract their interest.

INTERNATIONAL

Haaretz – Amnesty International accused Hamas of crimes against humanity in its first report on the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre and hostage taking. The non-governmental organization said Hamas assailants engaged in sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence both in the initial invasion of Israel and subsequently against some hostages.
*

Jewish Insider – The Trump administration is impatient for Israel to withdraw from a 155-square-mile area within Syria that the IDF took over after the fall of Syria’s strongman Bashir al-Assad. However, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says gaps between Syria and Israel have widened, given what he describes as “new demands” from Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa.

*

The Jerusalem Post – Israel and Ghana have deported each others citizens. The diplomatic scuffle began on Sunday, Dec. 7, when Ghana’s Foreign Ministry said seven Ghanaians including four members of Parliament were barred from entering the country. In retaliation, Ghana deported three Israelis on Wednesday, Dec. 10.  Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on Thursday, Dec. 11, that the four officials had been mischaracterized as members of Parliament.  They were members of the parliamentary staff intending to visit Christian sites.
*

Israel Hayom – The City of Hoboken, New Jersey, raised the Palestinian flag outside City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 9, on the direction of outgoing mayor Ravi Bhalla.  When Hoboken residents complained that the date marked 38 years since the first Intifada in Israel, Bhalla ordered it taken down.  He said he was unaware of the date’s significance. Incoming Mayor Emily Jabbour and Jewish City Council member Phil Cohen said before Bhalla ordered the flag to be raised, he should have had broad community input on the issue.  Cohen said he and Jabbour agreed on the need “to rethink flag-raising ceremonies and cultural events in a transparent and unifying manner for all parts of the community.”

*

The Times of Israel – Cellphones will be banned from Israeli elementary schools starting in February, according to Education Minister Yoav Kisch. “A healthy and safe educational climate is the objective.”
*

New Israel Fund – Daniel Sokatch begins in January a year-long sabbatical from his position as chief executive officer of the New Israel Fund.  He will be replaced temporarily by Mickey Gitzin, NIF’s executive director in Israel, who will move with his family to New York.

*

Mexico News Daily  — Forbes magazine has named Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum the fifth most powerful woman in the world, down from her ranking as the fourth most powerful last year.  Placing above her this year were, in order, Ursula van der Leyen, president of the European Commission; Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank; Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni.

*

NATIONAL

San Diego Jewish World–Republican and Democratic Senators voted down each other’s stopgap plans to prevent Americans from paying a lot more for their health care beginning in January.  Although both plans attracted a 51-majority vote on Thursday, it takes 60 votes to impose cloture on a filibuster. Democrats wanted to extend tax credits of the expiring Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obama Care, for three years.  Republicans wanted to pay $1,500 into eligible people’s accounts. Prior to the vote on the Democratic proposal, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) warned that this bill was Congress’ last chance this year to avert price increases for millions of Americans. He said, “Let’s avert a disaster. The American people are watching.”

*

Alex Padilla News — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, both California Democrats; Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Rep. John Garamendi (D-California) have reported the Department of Defense siphoning $2 billion of its budget to support the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement. Senators Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Ron Wyden of Oregon were listed among seven Senate cosponsors, and Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-California) was one of two House members listed as co-sponsoring the report.
*

Press Release – The Council on American-Islamic Relations on Thursday called on congressional colleagues of Rep. Randy Fine (R-Florida), to demand his resignation after he posted on X: “Rep. Fine on How to Deal with Mainstream Muslims: ‘I don’t know how you make peace with those who seek your destruction, I think you destroy them first.” Said CAIR in a statement: “If any elected official had called for the genocide of all ‘mainstream Jews’ or ‘mainstream Christians‘ their career would rightfully be over.  [Fine’s post on social media] leaves no doubt that he is a bigoted sociopath unworthy of a seat in Congress…” [Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations]

*

Claims Conference — On the fifth night of Chanukah, Thursday, Dec. 18, a panoply of Jewish entertainment figures and diplomats will celebrate Holocaust survivors at 11 a.m. Pacific Times in a global virtual program that may be accessed by clicking here just before 11 a.m. Greg Schneider, executive director of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, will cohost the virtual event with actor/ director Noah Emmerich. Entertainers Barbra Streisand, Billy Crystal, Rob Reiner, Debra Messing, Jason Alexander, Julianna Margulies, Mayim Bialik, Steve Guttenberg, Adam Arkin, Shulem Lemmer, Tovah Feldshuh, Barry Manilow, and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer will participate.  Participating diplomats include Stuart Eizenstat, U.S. State Department Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues; Dani Dayan, Yad Vashem Chairman; Sara J. Bloomfield; U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Director;  and the real “stars” of the show, Holocaust Survivors Abe Foxman,  László Roth, Colette Avital;  Max Arpels Lezer, and Ella Blumenthal.

*

STATE & LOCAL

CalMatters — U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco has ordered the Trump administration to end the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles and return the troops to the control of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The order will take effect on Monday, Dec. 15, on which day defendants may appeal. “It is profoundly un-American to suggest that people peacefully exercising their fundamental right to protest constitute a risk justifying the federalization of military forces,” wrote the judge who is the brother of retired U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer.

*
Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World