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.

Iran

Iran leader refuses US help, citing conspiracy theory that virus man-made

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader Sunday refused US assistance to fight the new coronavirus, citing an unfounded conspiracy theory that the virus could be man-made by America.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments come as Iran faces crushing US sanctions blocking the country from selling its crude oil and accessing international...

Iran

Iranian Officials Stole More Than $1 Billion in Humanitarian Coronavirus Funds, Pompeo Says

Iranian regime officials stole more than $1 billion in humanitarian funds meant to be used to help the country's people fight the spread of coronavirus, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

European countries intended for more than $1 billion cash for medical supplies to go to the Iranian people, who have been ravaged by the virus....

Israeli Society

Holocaust survivor becomes Israel’s first coronavirus fatality

An 88-year-old Holocaust survivor suffering from coronavirus reportedly became the first person in Israel to die from the illness.

Arie Even, who immigrated to Israel from Hungary in 1949, contracted the virus while staying in an assisted living facility where several of the residents have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Haaretz.

“He...

Medical Advancement

The Israeli Inventions That Lessen The Healthcare System’s Burden

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has shed an unflattering light on the faults of the global healthcare systems, from China to Italy, and posed a myriad of new challenges to both healthcare professionals and researchers. Governments, including that of Israel, have called on tech companies to enlist in the battle against the outbreak. In reality,...

Antisemitism

Coronavirus is a Zionist plot, say Turkish politicians, media, public

The coronavirus is a Zionist plot spread by Jews to decrease the world population, some members of Turkey's press and public have said, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute.MEMRI, which specializes in translating Middle Eastern media into English, has uncovered a number of incidences of Turks blaming the coronavirus epidemic on...

Antisemitism

White supremacists encouraging their members to spread coronavirus to cops, Jews, FBI says

Racist extremist groups, including neo-Nazis and other white supremacists, are encouraging members who contract novel coronavirusdisease to spread the contagion to cops and Jews, according to intelligence gathered by the FBI.

In an alert obtained by ABC News, the FBI’s New York office reports that "members of extremist groups are encouraging one...

In The News

Elite IDF tech unit working to develop medical equipment, protective gear

An elite military technological unit has been working to develop protective gear and improvised medical equipment to assist health care workers as part of the Israel Defense Forces’ efforts to combat the coronavirus outbreak, the army said Thursday.

Military Intelligence Directorate’s 81st Technological Unit has focused on tackling several main...

In The News

Israeli researchers develop innovative diagnostic method for coronavirus

Israeli researchers are at the forefront of medical innovation to offer new solutions in the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak.British company diagnostics.ai, whose research and development is entirely based in Herzliya, is already providing labs in the UK and US with their advanced diagnostic technique, employing artificial...

US-Israel Relationship

Friedman: US, Israel to emerge stronger than ever

Speaking while under quarantine, US envoy keeps spirits high with full work loadUS Ambassador David Friedman usually has a very busy schedule, going from one meeting to another with Israeli officials, flying to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump, or addressing major Israeli or American organizations.This week, however, Friedman was...

In The News

Israelis Across Country Applaud From Their Balconies in Appreciation of Medical Workers Battling Coronavirus

Israelis on Thursday evening held a demonstration of appreciation for and solidarity with health care workers battling the coronavirus by applauding from their balconies.
The applause was heard across the country, including in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Petah Tikva and Nahariya, as well as many other communities.
President Reuven Rivlin and Prime...

In The News

Coronavirus Crisis Brings Israel and Arab World Together, at Least Online

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has been receiving messages of solidarity from across the Arab world as the coronavirus crisis intensifies, including messages like, “May Allah protect you.”
Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot reported that the messages came in response to a social media post by the ministry, which showed a photo of three employees making...

In The News

Jewish Astronaut Jessica Meir Tweets From Space Station on Coronavirus Crisis: ‘This Too Shall Pass’

Jewish NASA astronaut Jessica Meir tweeted a hopeful message to everyone on Earth coping with the coronavirus pandemic as she looked down on Israel from the International Space Station on Tuesday.
“Gazing down at the city in which my father was raised, I take to heart one of his most uttered expressions, ‘This too shall pass’. Wise words to...

In The News

German police stage nationwide raids on anti-Semitic group

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — German police on Thursday raided sites across the country linked to a far-right group banned by the interior ministry, weeks after a suspected extremist gunman shot dead nine people of migrant backgrounds.
Germany’s top security official, Horst Seehofer, issued a ban on the United German Peoples and Tribes, the first...

Hamas

US slaps new sanctions on Iran amid renewed rocket attacks in Iraq

The State Department on Wednesday announced it is slapping new sanctions on Iran as renewed rocket attacks have been launched at U.S. forces in Iraq by what are believed to be Tehran-backed militias.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the sanctions will target nine entities and three individuals “who have engaged in activity...

In The News

Kataeb Hezbollah, the shadowy Iranian-backed militia behind attacks on US troops in Iraq

While the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the globe, U.S. troops stationed in Iraq continue to battle the threat of Iranian-backed militias, in recent days going head-to-head with what is considered one of the most shadowy and lethal units: Kataeb Hezbollah.
On Monday night, rockets hit a base in Iraq again, the third attack in the past...

In The News

US told to sanction Iran’s IRGC-controlled media for using torture

Iranian state media masquerade as legitimate while violating international law by using physical and psychological torture to extract forced confessions from political prisoners, according to a new report. The US should sanction Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-controlled news wires and go after individuals who were involved in forced...

In The News

Amazon bans sale of Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ and other Nazi books

JTA — Amazon has banned the sale of most editions of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” and other Nazi propaganda books following decades of pleas by Holocaust education organizations and Jewish groups.
Booksellers were informed in recent days that they would no longer be allowed to sell a number of Nazi-authored books on the website, including “Mein Kampf,”...

In The News

IDF says Hezbollah, Syrian army behind attempted sniper attack on border

The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday accused the Hezbollah terror group and the Syrian army of being behind an attempted sniping attack against Israeli soldiers in the Golan Heights earlier this month, which was thwarted by an Israeli strike on the suspects’ car.
The military said that in the months preceding the incident Israeli troops saw...

In The News

Sharansky, Carr blast those attempting to blame Jews for coronavirus

The Combat Anti-Semitism Movement held a digital awards ceremony on Sunday amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Human-rights advocate and former Jewish Agency head Natan Sharansky and U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism Elan Carr discussed anti-Semitic efforts to use coronavirus for spreading anti-Jewish sentiment.
Around...

In The News

Rockets strike Iraqi base hosting foreign forces for 3rd time in a week

The Iraqi Al Sumaria news reported that two rockets struck the Basmaya camp, located south of Baghdad, on Tuesday.American troops began training Iraqi troops at the Basmaya camp in 2015 and NATO training activities as part of the NATO Mission Iraq training mission began at the site in 2018.The attack comes just three days after 33 rockets were...