Middle East

I’ve seen this before: When old hatreds find new voices

I was not born carrying hatred; it was placed gently in my hands, like an heirloom no one thinks to question. As a child in Morocco, I inherited stories about Jews long before I ever met one. They were shadows in conversations, warnings disguised as wisdom, conclusions handed to me without evidence. I accepted them the way a child accepts the horizon, distant, unquestioned, and always there. [Mustapha Ezzarghani]

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Antisemitism, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

AI utilized to mass-produce online antisemitic messages

“Generative AI has dramatically lowered the barrier to producing and distributing antisemitic content,” said CyberWell Founder & CEO Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor. “What once required coordination, creativity, basic technical skills and time can now be created instantly and shared at scale. …” [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, International, Israel, Middle East, News Media, Press Release, USA

Shiite Islam practices taqiyya (deception) when dealing with non-believers

“Let not the believers take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Whoever does so will have no relationship with Allah – unless you take precautions against them”. (Quran 3:28; 2:173; 2:185; 4:29; 22:78; 40:28.) [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Israel, Lifestyles, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Distrust for Netanyahu-led government sours some Israelis’ outlook

Bad decisions, miscalculations and hubris have caused Israel’s current government to lead the country along a path that seems to bring only more death and destruction. No attempt ever seems to be made to seek peace by negotiation or any diplomatic means of settling disputes. Admittedly, countries that openly proclaim their desire to eradicate Israel and all Jews everywhere should be regarded as a threat, but Israelis should be given an alternative to living by the sword alone. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Israel, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Seeing the Iranian struggle in the Passover story

For 2,500 years, Jews lived in Iran, long before the rise of Islam. There were periods of relative stability, even prosperity, but they were never truly equal. At best, they were second-class citizens. At worst, they were targets. There were times when Jews were forced to mark themselves as Jews, when false accusations spread easily, and when they were reminded that no matter how long they had lived there, they did not fully belong. [Chloe Levian]

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Antisemitism, California, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

World Jewish Congress reports Arabic version of Wikipedia replete with anti-Israel propaganda

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Tuesday released a new report exposing systemic bias, extremist propaganda, and governance failures on Arabic-language Wikipedia, raising serious concerns about the integrity of one of the world’s most widely used sources of information. [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, News Media, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, Wikipedia

Gali and Ben epitomize the saga of the Jewish people

They got engaged one week before October 7. When the attack began they ran, found a roadside shelter, and held on to each other as terrorists hurled grenades inside. When Gali opened her eyes in the darkness she realized her right leg had been blown off. [Rabbi Shmuly Begun]

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International, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Mayor Mamdani’s dad participated in a teach-in at an illegal Columbia encampment

The Times article flirts with his negative views of Israel as a Jewish state, but it fell short of quoting some of his more hostile statements that should antagonize any pro-Israel person. {Bruce S. Ticker}

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Antisemitism, Bruce Ticker, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, News Media, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Israel’s Consul General in Los Angeles predicts outcome of Middle East war will be a ‘moderate axis’

In his view, the current fighting is not only about neutralizing threats in the present, but about reshaping the future architecture of the Middle East. [Shor M. Masori]

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Antisemitism, California, Israel, Middle East, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA