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Anti-Israel Boycotts in Defense, Economics, and the Arts Are Gaining Ground

Attacks against individual Jews and Jewish institutions have become so numerous, that only a sample may be listed here. A few notable examples include: In Venice, visibly Jewish tourists were attacked by a large group of Muslim migrants who chased them and shouted “free Palestine.” One tourist was attacked by a dog belonging to the migrants; In Athens, an Israeli brother and sister were …
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Anti-Israel Boycotts in Defense, Economics, and the Arts Are Gaining Ground

Jewish studies scholar argues modern-day antisemitism akin to 1950s-era discrimination in new book
Historian Pamela Nadell is very familiar with the rituals of publishing a book, as she has written nine of them: Secure a release date, present at academic conferences, maybe headline a handful of general-public events. Although she is at the forefront of her field at American University — chair in Women’s and Gender History, director of the Jewish studies program …
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Jewish studies scholar argues modern-day antisemitism akin to 1950s-era discrimination in new book

Hamas Doesn’t Believe in Peace
For many Palestinians, the 20-point peace plan unveiled by Donald Trump in late September, backed publicly by eight Arab countries, sounded like a dream come true. In the first place, it marked a dramatic departure from Trump’s proposal back in February that included “voluntary migration,” which would have meant relocating much of Gaza’s population abroad, with no guaranteed right to …

Israel, the Gaza Ceasefire, and the Next Chapter of Zionist History

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Reminder – Join Tikvah Tomorrow:

Israel, the Gaza Ceasefire, and the
Next Chapter of Zionist History
with Elliott Abrams, Melanie Phillips, and Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer

Monday, October 20 | 12:00 PM ET | Live on Zoom
Click Here to Register

On Monday, October 13, just over two years after the attacks of October 7, 2023, history was made. Pursuant to a hostage exchange and ceasefire deal brokered by the Trump administration between Israel, Hamas, and many of America’s Arab and Muslim allies, all 20 living hostages still being held in Gaza were returned to Israel. In exchange, Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners—including terrorists with blood on their hands—and is now only deployed throughout half of the Gaza Strip.

At this very moment, the ceasefire is being tested after a Hamas attack on IDF troops, and yet it is clear that a momentous chapter in Israeli history has also come to a close. For two years, the men and women of Israel’s citizen army have courageously taken to the field of battle, fighting not only in Gaza, but reshaping the entire region. Despite a diplomatic tsunami of hostility and waning international support, Israel and America deepened their alliance, working together to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and change the strategic reality of the Middle East. And Israeli society itself has undergone profound changes, even as old battles over issues like the haredi ​draft took on new urgency amidst Israel’s longest war.

To help us make sense of what the last two years mean in the scope of Zionist history, Tikvah invites you to join our chairman Elliott Abrams, the writer Melanie Phillips, and the Israeli haredi thinker Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer for a wide-ranging discussion tomorrow, Monday, October 20, at 12:00 PM Eastern. Moderated by Tikvah’s Jonathan Silver, our panelists will analyze the meaning of the Gaza war in the long story of the Jewish people and the heroic history of the State of Israel. They will also explore what this period has meant for contemporary Israeli society, the U.S.-Israel relationship, and the broader fight for the values and ideals of Western civilization.

We hope you will join us! Just click here or on the button below to sign up.
Click Here to Join Us Tomorrow
Elliott Abrams is chairman of Tikvah, chairman of the Vandenberg Coalition, and senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He served in multiple senior national security positions in the administration of George W. Bush, and as special representative for Iran and for Venezuela during the first Trump administration. He is the author of numerous books on the Middle East and Jewish affairs, including Faith or Fear, Tested by Zion, Realism and Democracy, and, most recently, If You Will It: Rebuilding Jewish Peoplehood for the 21st Century. Mr. Abrams writes widely on foreign policy, with a special focus on the Middle East, democracy, and human rights.
Melanie Phillips is a British journalist, broadcaster, and author. Her weekly column, which currently appears in the Times of London, has been published over the years in the Guardian, Observer, Sunday Times, and Daily Mail. She also writes for the Jewish Chronicle and Jewish News Syndicate and speaks on public platforms throughout the English-speaking world. Her best-selling book Londonistan, about the British establishment’s capitulation to Islamist aggression, was published in 2006. She is also the author of The World Turned Upside Down and the novel The Legacy. Her most recent book, The Builder’s Stone: How Jews and Christians Built the West—and Why Only They Can Save It, was released in January of this year.

Israel Brief: Monday, October 13

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Israel Brief: Monday, October 13

Freedom returned, hatred remains. Vigilance is the price of peace.

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Shalom, friends.

Israel breathed today. Twenty living hostages returned. Families held them; the country watched and wept. U.S. President Donald Trump is visiting, speaking in the Knesset and basking in a historic role. I respect the moment and the help. I also refuse fantasy. The war is not “over.” A chapter closed. Israel still faces enemies who plan openly for the death of Israel and all Jews — work toward it while cameras are currently tracking ceremonies.

Read this briefing with two tracks in mind. First, the mechanics and morality of the exchange: amended prisoner lists, IDF deterrence across Judea and Samaria, and the human ledger of return and loss. Second, the map that actually matters now: armed clans now fighting Hamas are not friends of Israel. Many preach less while they reload. Indoctrination runs deep; “Palestinian” society, fed by parts of the Arab world, has taught generations to hate Jews and to sanctify our erasure. Do not confuse their feud with Hamas for a bid for peace. The road ahead is long. Israel carries Hatikvah — hope — and keeps its eyes open. We are turning a page, and we are staying wary.

 

Subscribe — because someone has to read the prisoner-swap fine print before you make Kiddush.

The War Today

Gov’t approves amendments for soon-to-be released terrorist in urgent telephone vote

Israeli ministers held an emergency phone vote to amend the list of prisoners slated for release in the first phase of the hostage deal, swapping out several Fatah-linked and Hamas-linked detainees and removing seven minors. The revisions reduce the total number to 1,718 prisoners, even as Hamas accused Israel of “changing the lists” and warned that Netanyahu could resume fighting without external pressure. The exchange process remains closely monitored by Egypt, Qatar, and the ICRC amid ongoing implementation disputes. Read more →

‘We are watching you’: IDF posters blanket West Bank before Palestinian prisoner release

Ahead of the first prisoner exchange under the Gaza ceasefire deal, the IDF distributed Arabic-language warning posters across Judea and Samaria, cautioning residents against rallies or public displays of support for terrorist groups. The messages signaled Israel’s zero-tolerance policy for incitement during the sensitive release process, as U.S. President Trump arrived in Israel to address the Knesset. Read more →

Palestinian cop who joined lynching of 2 Israeli reservists to go free in Gaza deal

Raed Sheikh, a former “Palestinian” police officer convicted for the 2000 Ramallah police-station lynching of IDF reservists Vadim Norzhich and Yossi Avrahami, is slated for release under the ceasefire–hostage exchange and will be deported abroad. The move comes as Israel prepares to free 250 life-term prisoners alongside larger releases, while bereaved families decry the decision and Hamas pushes to add senior terror leaders to the lists. Read more →

Hamas official: Israel altered prisoner lists, warns Netanyahu will renew war

Hamas political bureau member Ghazi Hamad accused Israel of changing prisoner lists under the ceasefire-for-hostages deal and warned that Prime Minister Netanyahu might “return to aggression” in Gaza if not restrained by outside pressure. Speaking from Cairo, Hamad said Hamas was working with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to ensure the agreement proceeds “as stated,” even as disputes over prisoner names continued. The next phase of the deal is expected to include the release of 20 Israeli hostages and over 1,700 Palestinian prisoners. Read more →

Gaza militia commander tells ynet: ‘Hamas is weak — it’s only a matter of time until it falls’

A Gaza militia leader says that Hamas’ grip on power is collapsing amid growing clan resistance and internal chaos. Hossam al-Astal, commander of the al-Majida militia in Khan Younis, said his forces now control parts of the city with Israeli coordination and vowed to “topple Hamas fighters for good.” Local militias aligned against Hamas are expanding control across Gaza as the terror group faces mounting rebellion from armed clans and dwindling resources. Read more →