Middle East

Jews in the news: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and President Donald Trump have negotiated a deal to fund the government. Schumer announced that the agreement calls for five bipartisan bills funding most of the government would be approved as is, while the bill allocating funds to the Department of Homeland Security would be approved with a two-week continuing resolution …

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Antisemitism, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Middle East, News Media, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jews in the news: Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026

Including the U.S., 20 countries attended the signing ceremony: Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Business & Finance, California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Parsha Bo: Awakening the heart amid modern darkness

The Rebbe replied: This plague was not darkness in the eyes alone. It was a deeper darkness—a numbness of the heart where no one cared for their neighbor. No one felt the pain of another. No one rose to help the hopeless or answer cries of despair. In that profound apathy, society descended into terrifying isolation. That is the terror of such darkness. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

The apathetic West needs to wake up!

This moment of raw courage—ordinary Iranians facing murder squads, risking torture and death for dignity, women’s rights, and an end to clerical tyranny—deserves global attention. Yet, much of the Western liberal establishment, academia, mainstream media, and progressive circles have responded with disturbing silence or minimal engagement. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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International, Israel, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jews in the news: Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026

“Today, on behalf of President Trump, we are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, Middle East, News Media, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

‘Emma’ and ‘Noah’ most popular names for newborns in San Diego County

The San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk’s Office has released the top 10 baby names for 2025, based on birth records filed throughout San Diego County. The list reflects both enduring favorites and the county’s rich cultural diversity, highlighting the names parents most often chose for their newborns last year. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

OpEd: The Birth Pangs of Freedom in Iran

The streets of Tehran and beyond blaze with righteous fury. On Sunday, December 28, merchants in the Grand Bazaar and major commercial districts shut their shops in protest, marking a historic betrayal by a class once instrumental in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. By Monday and Tuesday, the strikes spread relentlessly: goldsmiths, tech vendors, and wholesalers in areas like Alaeddin Mall, Charsou Commercial Complex, Shush market, and Lalehzar joined the shutdowns. Protesters marched through Jomhuri Street, Naser Khosrow, and Istanbul Intersection, clashing with security forces who unleashed tear gas and batons. Defiant individuals, echoing the iconic “Tank Man” of Tiananmen Square, stood unarmed before armored vehicles and riot police, offering their bodies as living monuments of resistance—often swallowed by the regime’s brutal crackdown. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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International, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Jewish Political Briefing: Saturday Evening, Dec. 6, 2025

More than 200 cultural and public figures have signed a petition urging Israel to release convicted terrorist Marwan Barghouti from prison.  Among Jews signing the petition are singer Paul Simon and journalist Peter Beinart. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Political Briefing: Friday, Dec. 5, 2025

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane was the target of four drones as he landed at the Dublin, Ireland, airport around 11 pm., Monday, Dec.1  Who sent the military-class drones and why they were sent are open questions now under investigation by Ireland’s security forces. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Middle East, News Media, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

OpEd: The Islamization of Europe

Under the guise of fighting Israeli “colonization” and “genocide,” crowds of pro-Palestinian ‘colonizers’ of Europe, in parallel with proclaiming the destruction of Israel “from the river to the sea, we will liberate Palestine,” are seeking to drive European Jews out of European countries. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food