ISSUES

At CUFI, we are focused on several key issues with the goal of defending Israel’s strength, security, and sovereignty.

If you want to keep up with all things Israel, sign up for CUFI’s Daily Briefing – our daily news roundup created exclusively for CUFI members. Every morning, Monday through Friday, receive an email with some of the top headlines in the news so you are always informed and ready to debunk lies with the truth.

Hamas

Hamas’ cat and mouse game over terrorist funding

Hamas is trying to thwart efforts to crack down on the funding it receives to sponsor terrorist activity by spreading the money around and using regular bank transactions to hide in plain sight, says an IDF intelligence officer who monitors terrorist funding in the West Bank.

"Most of the money transfers to Hamas are done physically through a...

Syria

Trump declares ‘permanent’ ceasefire in Syria, lifting US sanctions on Turkey

(October 23, 2019 / JNS) U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that a “permanent” ceasefire in Syria has been reached, and that all U.S. sanctions enacted against Turkey will be lifted.

“I have, therefore, instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to lift all sanctions imposed October 14th in response to Turkey’s original offensive...

Iran

Int’l Judo Federation hits Iran with indefinite ban for pressuring fighter not to face Israeli rival

Iran has been banned indefinitely from international competition until it can give strong guarantees that its athletes will be allowed to face Israelis, the International Judo Federation (IJF) has said.

The IJF decision follows a protective suspension imposed on the Iran Judo Federation on Sept. 18 for putting pressure on one of its fighters to...

Israel Defense Force (IDF)

Abbas orders to rebuild home of soldier’s killer, razed by IDF for second time

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday ordered to rebuild the house of a Palestinian convicted of killing an Israeli soldier, just hours after the killer's family home had been demolished by IDF forces for the second time within a year.

Staff Sgt. Ronen Lubarsky, 20, died from his wounds after Islam Yusuf Hamid, 33, dropped a marble slab...

Antisemitism

Neo-Nazis attempt to burn Jewish center in Budapest

(October 23, 2019 / JNS) A Jewish community and activism center in Budapest experienced minor damages as neo-Nazis attempted to set it ablaze.

No injuries were reported.

The Aurora community center was empty during the arson attempt, according to Adam Schonberger, director of the Marom, a Jewish association founded in 2014 affiliated with the...

Iran

Israel said bracing for direct cruise missile or drone attack by Iran

Israel is readying for a direct cruise missile or drone strike by Tehran in response to recent attacks on Iranian regional proxies which have been attributed to the Jewish state, Army Radio reported Tuesday evening.

Unlike ballistic missiles, which usually fly through a high arc on the way to the target, cruise missiles and drones fly at low...

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)

Czech lawmakers pass resolution condemning BDS movement

The lower house of the Czech parliament on Tuesday passed a resolution condemning all forms of anti-Semitism as well as calls for boycotts of Israel.

The non-binding resolution, which passed the Chamber of Deputies with an overwhelming majority, strongly condemns “all manifestations of anti-Semitism directed against individuals, religious...

Hamas

US lawmakers call out Twitter for allowing Hamas and Hezbollah on the platform

Four members of the US House of Representatives have called out Twitter for allowing Hamas and Hezbollah to maintain a presence on its social media platform.

Reps. Josh Gottheimer, Tom Reed and Max Rose of New York and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania wrote in a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Tuesday that they were alarmed to learn that...

Antisemitism

9 out of 10 US Jews worry about anti-Semitism, and most think it’s getting worse

Some nine out of 10 Jews in the United States believe anti-Semitism is a problem in the country, with widespread fear that it is on the rise, according to a recent survey by the American Jewish Committee. The survey is the largest and most comprehensive conducted among Jews on the topic of Jew-hatred in the US to date.

Thirty-eight percent of...

Antisemitism

Prominent DC synagogue vandalized with ‘anti-Israel and hate-filled messages’

JTA — A synagogue in Washington DC was vandalized with what is described by local Jewish agencies as “anti-Israel and hate-filled messages.”

Graffiti on the Washington Hebrew Congregation was discovered Friday morning. Congregants were informed of the vandalism in an email later in the day.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater...

Palestinian Authority

Palestinian who converted to Judaism arrested, badly beaten by PA forces

The 50-year-old man, who appears to be a grandson of a Palestinian who helped save Jews during 1929 Hebron massacre, has been held for the past 2 weeks on pretext of assaulting his brother; meanwhile, the man says his siblings mercilessly beat him, while PA police gave him burns on his arms and legs

A Palestinian from the West Bank who converted...

US-Israel Relationship

Pompeo: Trump ‘fully prepared’ to use military action against Turkey

Although the administration prefers “peace to war,” U.S. President Donald Trump is “fully prepared” to authorize military action against Turkey, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday.

In an interview with CNBC’s Wilfred Frost, Pompeo said the “world should know” that “where we see American interests at stake or fundamental norms...

Archeology

Pontius Pilate built Jerusalem’s ‘Pilgrimage Road,’ say Israeli archaeologists

Archaeologists now believe that Jerusalem’s “Pilgrimage Road” was built by none other than Pontius Pilate, the infamous Roman governor of Judea.

The ancient road in the City of David, which was preserved under the ashes of the Roman sack of Jerusalem in 70 CE, was used by pilgrims to ascend from the Siloam Pool to the Second Temple, according to...

Israeli Technology

Eyes skyward: sunlight for powering all of Israel

The Arava region of southern Israel, which includes the city of Eilat, will reach its goal of being 100-percent reliant on solar energy during the daytime by next year, placing the area light years ahead of the rest of the country.

The team responsible for the achievement, along with other experts, is now lobbying for legislation that would make...

US-Israel Relationship

Pompeo to ‘Post’: Israel has right to act in Syria, U.S. will stop Iran

Despite the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, Israel retains operational freedom to defend itself, and America remains committed to closely watching the Iraqi-Syrian border to help prevent the transfer of Iranian arms into the country, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told The Jerusalem Post on Friday in an exclusive interview.

“Our...

Terrorism

Year after massacre, Pittsburgh synagogue plans to become center for Jewish life

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Leaders of the Pittsburgh synagogue where worshippers were fatally shot last year want to rebuild and renovate the building, turning it into what they hope will be a “center for Jewish life in the United States” and a symbol against hatred.

On Friday, they outlined their vision for the Tree of Life building, where three...

Israeli Society

Jewish astronaut part of first female spacewalking team

The first-ever female spacewalking team, including a Jewish astronaut, exited the International Space Station on Friday.

Swedish-American-Israeli Jessica Meir and Christina Koch are repairing a broken part of the station’s solar-power network.

Meir became the fourth Jewish woman and 15th Jewish astronaut overall to be part of a space mission.
...

Israeli Society

Israel to send biggest delegation ever to 2020 Olympics

(October 18, 2019 / JNS) Israel is set to send to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo its largest delegation of athletes ever.

An estimated 85 athletes will be competing in 18 sports on behalf of the Jewish state. Vered Buskila, vice president of the Olympic Committee of Israel, told the news site NoCamels, “This is a crazy number by Israeli standards....

Palestinian Authority

Palestinians riot on Gaza border; 48 said wounded

Over 4,000 Palestinian demonstrators took part in weekly protests Friday along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, with several hundred rioting and clashing with Israeli troops.

Rioters threw rocks and explosive devices at troops who responded with tear gas and live fire.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said 48 Palestinians were...

Antisemitism

Poll: Majority of Germans express alarm over anti-Semitism following synagogue attack

(October 18, 2019 / JNS) A majority of Germans expressed that “a lot more” anti-Semitism has spread throughout their country, according to a new poll taken one week after the Oct. 9 attack on a synagogue in the German town of Halle.

“That’s a lot more — +19 points — than one year ago,” stated the German broadcaster ARD, which conducted the poll,...