In The News

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In The News

UAE’s ambassador to Israel extends warm Passover wishes to Jewish community

03/29/2021
Mohammad Mahmoud Al Khajah posted his message in Hebrew and English

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ambassador to Israel tweeted a message for the Passover holiday on Sunday evening in which he called for celebrating freedom and new beginnings.
Mohammad Mahmoud Al Khaja, who is currently not in the country, posted his message in…

In The News

Iraq’s Jewish community dwindles to fewer than five

03/28/2021
A turning point for Jewish history in Iraq came with the first pogroms in the mid-20th century

The death of Dhafer Eliyahu hit Iraq hard, not only because the doctor treated the neediest for free, but because with his passing, only four Jews now remain in the country.
At the Habibiya Jewish cemetery in the capital Baghdad, wedged…

In The News

Palestinian arrested after attempting to ram vehicle into IDF soldiers

03/28/2021

A Palestinian driver tried to ram his vehicle into a group of Israel Defense Forces soldiers near the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adumim on Sunday, the IDF said.

The vehicle instead hit several other Israeli vehicles and the suspect was arrested. There were no injuries reported in the incident, at the parking lot of the Ein…

In The News

‘Iron Sting’: Israel completes testing of ‘groundbreaking’ laser-guided mortar

03/14/2021

A new laser-guided mortar completed trials and will bring greater firepower to smaller units while reducing collateral damage to noncombatants due to its high levels of accuracy, the Defense Ministry said in a statement Sunday.

The Iron Sting 120mm mortar was developed by the ministry along with the Israel Defense Forces and Elbit…

In The News

Iran and China formally sign 25-year cooperation pact

03/27/2021
Iran and China signed a 25-year “strategic cooperation pact” Saturday in the latest expansion of Beijing’s flagship trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative as the US rivals move closer together.
Negotiations for the deal, launched five years ago, sparked controversy in Iran last year and virtually no details of its contents have been…

In The News

China, Iran to sign 25-year cooperation accord

03/26/2021
Accord expected to include Chinese investments in Iran’s energy and infrastructure sectors

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Iran on Friday for a visit reports said would see the signing of a 25-year cooperation agreement between the two countries, both of which are under US sanctions.
This comes one day after China…

In The News

Biden admin restores US humanitarian aid to Palestinians

03/25/2021
US to transfer $15 million to ‘the most vulnerable communities’ through a charity

US President Joe Biden’s administration will restore aid to the Palestinians that was cut by his predecessor Donald Trump, the US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday.
“President Biden is restoring US assistance…

In The News

With new tech, Israel prepares for Hezbollah war

03/26/2021

Defending the border from Hezbollah infiltration, destroying anti-tank missile infrastructures and maneuvering inside enemy territory are just some of the skills that were exercised in the 188th Armored Brigade drill that was completed on Thursday. 

The brigade’s drill was the culmination of a 17-week training session. The 53rd,…

In The News

Lawmakers Investigate State Department Over $1 Billion Ransom Payment to Iran

03/25/2021

Republican foreign policy leaders in Congress are pressing Secretary of State Antony Blinken to fully disclose the contents of secret talks with South Korea that are believed to have paved the way for that country to hand Iran $1 billion as part of a ransom payment.

Reps. Bryan Steil (R., Wis.), Jim Banks (R., Ind.), and Greg…

In The News

Iran fired missile at Israeli ship in Arabian Sea – report

03/25/2021

An Iranian missile was fired at an Israeli ship in the Persian Gulf, N12 reported Thursday.

The container ship is owned by an Israeli businessman and was making its way from Tanzania from India, N12 reported.

As the ship sailed between Indian and Oman, it was hit by a missile that damaged it, according to N12.

The incident…

In The News

The story of Passover

03/25/2021
CUFI Coffee Break

Being Jewish means much more than belonging to a religious group. In fact, you can be religious or secular and still be Jewish. Essentially, the Jewish people are made up of a group of individuals who share a common identity. That identity is made up of key aspects, including:…

In The News

The Biden administration must enforce the Taylor Force Act

03/25/2021

In May 2020, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden spoke clearly when he proclaimed that he would “fully support the Taylor Force Act, which prohibits aid to the PA based on payments they make to terrorists in Israeli jails.” While it’s not uncommon for a candidate’s promises to go unfulfilled once they take office, Biden was…

In The News

Israeli, Slovak defense ministries sign $175 million defense-export agreement

03/25/2021

Israel and Slovakia on Thursday signed a first-of-its-kind, $175 million agreement for the procurement of 17 sophisticated radar systems for the Slovak Air Force, according to a statement by Israel’s Defense Ministry.

The agreement, which was signed in a festive ceremony at the Slovak Ministry of Defense in Bratislava, includes…

In The News

Colin Kahl’s nomination will be a disaster for Israel and the region

03/23/2021

For many years, American and Israeli leaders were rightly proud of repeating the mantra that excellent relations between the two nations was a bipartisan issue in Washington. Obviously, for a variety of reasons, that truism has faltered in recent years even while remaining broadly accurate.

However, the nomination of Colin…

In The News

US air defense chief praises Iron Dome and close partnership with Israel

03/23/2021

In a recent conversation with Foundation for Defense of Democracies Brad Bowman the director of US Air and Missile Defense Brig. Gen. Brian Gibson praised the Iron Dome system. He said that the system should be ready by the end of the year. The US currently has two batteries of Iron Dome which was developed by Israel’s Rafael…

In The News

Palestinians Funneled Hundreds of Millions to Terrorists, State Dept Report Reveals

03/22/2021

The Biden administration privately confirmed to Congress last week that the Palestinian Authority has continued to use international aid money to reward terrorists but said the finding won’t impact its plans to restart funding.

In a non-public State Department report obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, the administration said…

In The News

Turkish Nazi sympathizer has park in Istanbul named after him

03/23/2021

The Istanbul metropolitan municipality’s naming of a park after a writer who showed great sympathy for the Nazi movement’s lethal antisemitism, has largely been ignored in the media outside of the Republic of Turkey.

In November, the Istanbul city government named a park after Hüseyin Nihal Atsız (1905–1975) who is considered by…

In The News

Israel, Bahrain enter their first medical cooperation initiative

03/22/2021

Israel and Bahrain will be entering their first medical cooperation initiative, Sheba Medical Center and Salmaniya Medical Complex announced on Monday. 

After a formal meeting was held Monday between Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director-General of Sheba Medical Center, and Dr. Ahmed Al Ansari, Director of Salmaniya Medical Complex, the…