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

US Navy drone shot down by Iranian missile over Strait of Hormuz in ‘unprovoked attack,’ central command says

U.S. military officials returned fire -- verbally -- hours after Iran blasted a Navy high-altitude drone out of the sky over the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. Central Command leaders on Thursday slamming the "unprovoked" strike and Tehran's subsequent "false" justifications for it.

President Trump said on Twitter that Iran "made a very big...

Antisemitism

U.S. antisemitism envoy: Armed guards needed at synagogues, Jewish centers

Carr, interviewed on stage at the Global Coalition 4 Israel Conference by Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Yaakov Katz, said such a move was an unfortunate but necessary step.

"We live in a time of danger," Carr said. "Any synagogue, every JCC, should have guards. God willing, may they never be needed, but they should be there."

Carr was appointed...

Archeology

Ancient observation tower discovered in present IDF paratrooper base

An ancient observation tower was discovered in southern Israel on Wednesday in an IDF paratrooper base. The tower dates back to the days of the King Hezekiah, who ruled the Kingdom of Judah almost 3,000 years ago, according to the Bible.

"The strategic location of the tower served as a lookout and warning point against the Philistine enemy, one...

Hamas

Egypt to pay $500 million fine for breaking gas deal with Israel

(June 19, 2019 / JNS) Egypt reached a settlement with Israel on Sunday to pay the Israel Electric Corporation $500 million over the next eight and a half years, after breaking an agreement to deliver natural gas to the Jewish state in 2012.

The gas supply deal was announced under Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 2005 and the opening of the...

Israel Defense Force (IDF)

Israel Air Force conducts massive drill simulating all-out, multi-front war

(June 19, 2019 / JNS) The Israeli Air Force is holding a large-scale, four-day combat exercise simulating simultaneous warfare in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon and featuring F-35 jet fighters, according to the Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday.

The drill focuses on fighting in the country’s north, against Hezbollah and Iranian forces.

It will simulate...

US-Israel Relationship

15 past and present New England Patriots players accompany Robert Kraft on trip to Israel

(JTA) — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is taking eight current and seven of the team’s former players with him to Israel.

Kraft, the billionaire philanthropist and CEO of the Kraft Group, is visiting the Jewish state to receive the Genesis Prize, nicknamed the Jewish Nobel Prize.

The group of former players includes stars such as Drew...

US-Israel Relationship

FBI brings together Muslim, Jewish, Christian leaders together to share security information

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The FBI convened a round table meeting of leaders of Muslim, Jewish and Christian groups to discuss means of preventing bias-based attacks on religious institutions.

The event Tuesday at FBI headquarters in Washington DC appeared to be the first of its kind; the FBI has in the past convened similar forums for Jewish groups....

Antisemitism

US Education Department to investigate anti-Semitic event sponsored by Duke-UNC

(June 17, 2019 / JNS) The U.S. Department of Education announced on Monday that it will investigate an anti-Semitic and anti-Israel conference in March hosted jointly by Duke University and the University of North Carolina.

This was in response to U.S. Rep. George Holding sending U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos a letter in April, calling for...

Hamas

16 House Republicans urge Twitter CEO to ban Hamas

(June 18, 2019 / Israel Hayom) Sixteen U.S. lawmakers have called on Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to remove “all content promoting terrorist activity” from the social media platform, and to ban “senior Hamas officials and associates from Twitter who radicalize individuals to incite violence against Israelis.”

In a letter to the San Francisco-based...

Hamas

Official New Zealand government website wipes Israel off the map

SYDNEY, Australia (JTA) — Immigration New Zealand, an official government website, published a fact sheet with a map of the Middle East that showed a “Palestine,” but not Israel.

Following a barrage of complaints on social media, the web page was removed, though screenshots remain.

The Israel Institute of New Zealand called for a retraction of...

Hamas

Israel reopens Gaza fishing zone

(June 18, 2019 / JNS) Israel has reopened the Gaza fishing zone to 10 nautical miles off the coast, despite recent tensions due to border riots, rocket attacks and incendiary balloons launched into Israel from the Gaza Strip.

Last Wednesday, Israel totally shut down the Gaza fishing zone after Hamas failed to hold up its end of a ceasefire...

Israel Defense Force (IDF)

Israel Air Force holding large-scale drill simulating multi-front war

The Israeli Air Force is holding a week-long large scale drill simulating a multi-front war with all the platforms and squadrons, including for the first time the F-35i Adir stealth fighter jet.

The drill, which began on Sunday June 16th, includes all aircraft from combat squadrons, helicopters and transport planes as well as troops from the...

Hezbollah

House bipartisan group urges Merkel to label Hezbollah a terror group

(June 14, 2019 / JNS) A bipartisan group of members in the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, urging Germany to officially designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

The signees were Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.).

This week, the German...

Hamas

Funding at state and federal levels supports hardening of security at synagogues, faith-based institutions

(June 14, 2019 / JNS) The Ohio Senate recently released an amended version of the state’s operating budget for the next two fiscal years that includes key funding for nonprofit security needs in the aftermath of increasing attempted and carried-out attacks on houses of worship, faith-based institutions, cause-based nonprofits and individuals who...

Palestinian Authority

Israel’s strategic affairs minister: time for PA leader Abbas to go

(June 17, 2019 / JNS) Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan on Sunday urged the international community to take immediate action to oust Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, saying this was the only way to ensure the diplomatic process with the Palestinians moves forward.

Speaking at The Jerusalem Post Conference in New York,...

Hamas

California man arrested after threatening synagogue mass shooting

(JTA) — A California man who threatened in an online chatroom to kill Jews and to commit a mass shooting at a synagogue was arrested.

Ross Anthony Farca, 23, of Concord, California, said in the chatroom on the video game platform Steam that he wanted to emulate the Poway synagogue shooter “except with a Nazi uniform on,” The Mercury News...

US-Israel Relationship

Israeli Cabinet lays cornerstone for ‘Trump Heights’ in special session

(June 17, 2019 / Israel Hayom) A special Cabinet meeting was held in the Golan Heights on Sunday to lay the cornerstone of Trump Heights, a new Israeli community named after U.S. President Donald Trump.

The groundwork on Trump Heights began a few days ago, and the sign marking the entrance to the community was unveiled on Saturday.

U.S....

Terrorism

Balloon-borne device found near community in Gaza border region

A suspicious package attached to balloons was found Monday morning near a community close to the border with the Gaza Strip, the Eshkol Regional Council said.

“A bunch of balloons attached to a package was found in an open area outside an Eshkol community,” the council said in a statement.

Police sappers were alerted to deal with the device....

US-Israel Relationship

House Armed Services Committee votes to continue security assistance to Israel, block F-35 jets to Turkey

(June 13, 2019 / JNS) The U.S. House Armed Services Committee passed a $733 billion 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Thursday morning that, if enacted, would continue security assistance to Israel and block the U.S. transfer of F-35 jets to Turkey.

The tally was 33-24.

The House NDAA is $17 billion less than the Senate version,...

Antisemitism

Is anti-Semitism becoming mainstream? Experts see alarming trend in media, campus and public life

(June 13, 2019 / JNS) Moderating a panel in Jerusalem this week titled “The Mainstreaming of Anti-Semitism: The Media, BDS and Celebrated Bigotry,” David Hazony, executive director of the Israel Innovation Fund, analyzed the issue right off the bat: “What you are seeing on campuses is only a thin slice of the anti-Semitic beast that has emerged...