New York
A 22-year-old Queens man has been indicted on hate crime charges for allegedly damaging property outside Bagels & Co. on Union Turnpike in May. Dawood Faisal, of Fresh Meadows, was arraigned on two counts of third-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime.
If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison. According to the indictment, Faisal knocked over nine metal plant stands outside the store on May 15, spilling dirt and plants onto the sidewalk. He then allegedly threw debris at the shop and its Israeli flags. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Faisal “repeatedly targeted a Fresh Meadows business specifically because it is Jewish-owned and featured Israeli flags, and destroyed property as an expression of antisemitism.” Bias crimes “are an affront to our entire community and will not be tolerated,” Katz added.
The NYPD is investigating vandalism at a Capital One bank branch on Manhattan’s Upper East Side after a window was smashed and pro-Palestinian graffiti was found on the building, prompting elected officials to call for a probe into whether the incident was motivated by antisemitism. The incident occurred at the Capital One branch at 247 East 86th Street, near Second Avenue. Someone threw a brick through the front of the bank at about 7:50 a.m. Graffiti reading “PAL ACTION” and “DROP ELBIT” was also found on the building’s exterior. The incident is being investigated as criminal mischief and a possible bias incident by the department’s Hate Crime Task Force.
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office says Israel Bonds “continue to be a part of our fixed-income portfolio,” despite calls to follow New York City’s lead. The state pension fund held about $333 million in Israeli government bonds as of March, including about $297 million in Israel Bonds. NYC Comptroller Mark Levine recently reversed a campaign pledge to resume buying Israel Bonds, citing “technical challenges” and “financial considerations.” DiNapoli’s spokesman said that the office continues to look for investment opportunities in Israel and globally that will benefit the fund. The state Common Retirement Fund is valued at roughly $309.7 billion. Levine, who is Jewish, insisted the city’s decision rested solely on financial grounds and not politics.
A Democratic Governors Association-backed super PAC, Greater Empire State, has raised $4.34 million since late July to support New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s reelection bid against Republican Bruce Blakeman. Bloomberg, the Greater New York Hospital Association, and Leadership for New York each gave $1 million. The group launched new ads tying Blakeman to President Trump’s economic agenda, describing him as “MAGA Bruce Blakeman” and criticizing support for what the PAC called a “cost-raising agenda that is hurting New York.” Blakeman’s campaign called the spending a sign of Democratic desperation.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has transferred $1 million to help elect Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. The money went to the Abdul for Michigan Victory Fund, a joint account involving his campaign, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Michigan Democratic Party. Ocasio-Cortez announced the transfer while campaigning with El-Sayed and described it as a first for her in support of a Senate candidate. El-Sayed is facing Republican Mike Rogers in a closely watched race. The congresswoman has spent recent days appearing with El-Sayed across Michigan as she weighs a possible 2028 presidential bid.
New York City officials and Jewish community leaders gathered to unveil a street co-naming honoring the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, marking the organization’s 50th anniversary. City Council Speaker Julie Menin, NYC Comptroller Mark Levine, and U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler participated in unveiling “Jewish Community Relations Council of New York Way” at the northeast corner of East 47th Street and Second Avenue, across from Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also used the occasion to pledge additional funding for JCRC and nonprofit security grants if Democrats regain the Senate majority and he becomes majority leader. The location has long hosted rallies for Israel, against antisemitism, and in support of Soviet Jewry. Council Member Virginia Maloney, who sponsored the measure, led the official unveiling.
U.S.
President Trump signed an executive order putting sweeping new sanctions against Russia on hold, just weeks after signing the bipartisan legislation into law. The measures were designed to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine, targeting Russian banks, officials, oil shipments, and countries purchasing Russian energy, with tariffs of up to 100%. The decision follows his recent agreement to purchase Russian diesel to help lower global energy prices and has drawn criticism from lawmakers in both parties.
Federal investigators have obtained DNA evidence as part of an investigation into allegations that Rep. Ilhan Omar committed immigration fraud by allegedly marrying her brother. The allegations have not been proven in court, and it remains unclear what the DNA evidence establishes. Federal authorities investigating Omar seized her phone and have issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to some of her relatives, according to a person briefed on the probe. The subpoenas were issued for a grand jury collecting evidence in Minnesota as federal authorities probe potential fraud in Omar’s immigration paperwork. The investigation led to federal agents searching Omar’s Washington, D.C., home weeks before the November midterms, in which Omar is seeking reelection.
FBI agents arrested a Los Angeles man accused of threatening a Jewish preschool. Steven Duenas, 51, faces federal charges after allegedly posting antisemitic threats online against JEMS, a Chabad-run Jewish preschool in Los Feliz, Los Angeles. Prosecutors allege he posted images and references to incendiary devices. FBI agents who searched his home reportedly found components they believe were intended to make a Molotov cocktail. Duenas is expected back in court on November 10. Posts attributed to him included the statement “Not enough synagogues have been burned down” and a reference to possibly bombing the preschool.
The 16-year-old who carried out a deadly attack at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, has been identified. Authorities say he shot through locked doors to enter the school, killing three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, and a teacher, while critically wounding a 7-year-old student and another teacher. A community member pursued him inside and fatally shot him; reports indicate the person may have been a student’s parent. The gun had been purchased by the shooter’s mother around his birthday in August; he was a former special-needs student at the school who was not currently enrolled.
Elon Musk has pledged to give one share of his company SpaceX to “every kid in America” next year. The offer arrived a day after artificial intelligence company Anthropic announced in a social media post that it would commit 5% of its shares to a new “public benefit” fund. In a response to that Sunday post, Musk wrote, “I recommend giving the shares directly to the public.” He later added, “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many.” Shares of SpaceX, which will report its quarterly earnings on Tuesday, closed at $146.03 on Friday. With approximately 73 million children under the age of 18 in the United States, that would put the value of Musk’s pledge at about $10.66 billion.
Former Knicks star and six-time NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire, 43, has graduated from Miami Dade College’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy and will serve with the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department. Stoudemire said becoming a police officer was a childhood dream inspired by family members who served in law enforcement, and he received the academy’s Harry “Coach” Everett Award for his contributions during training. A 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Stoudemire also had a prominent basketball career in Israel, where he won two league championships and converted to Judaism in 2020. He completed nearly 11 months of rigorous training alongside other recruits.
Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised President Donald Trump’s public endorsement ahead of the October 27 elections, saying that Trump is “speaking from the heart and from his understanding of what benefits the United States.” Netanyahu praised Trump’s “clarity and courage,” saying their personal relationship has “historic consequences.” He also suggested that previous U.S. presidents had quietly supported his political rivals, citing Bill Clinton’s involvement in Israel’s 1996 election. Trump had earlier offered his “complete and total endorsement” of Netanyahu on social media, calling him a “Great Warrior Prime Minister.” Netanyahu responded by thanking the president for the support and emphasizing their joint work against Iran. The endorsement came days before Israelis head to the polls in the first national elections since the October 7 attacks.
Blue and White Party chairman and former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz has announced that he will not run in Israel’s October 27 elections. The reported decision comes after months of polling showed his party falling below the 3.25% electoral threshold needed to enter the Knesset. Gantz, who once served as alternate prime minister and topped polls, had previously indicated he would withdraw if late surveys showed the party short of seats. Although he is not running, Blue and White is expected to remain on the ballot.
The IDF released an internal Hamas document dated April 2024 outlining plans to plant explosives around displaced civilians’ camps and detonate them as Israeli troops approached, deliberately creating panic to help Hamas terror commanders and operatives escape. The document also proposed planting bombs along civilian evacuation routes to delay Israeli forces and firing stun grenades into camps to create chaos. “This is further evidence that the Hamas terrorist organization is willing to endanger the lives of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip in order to advance its terrorist activities,” the IDF said. The plans called for using the resulting confusion as cover for leadership personnel and designated operatives to leave the area.
Work began at UNRWA’s former headquarters in Jerusalem’s Ma’alot Dafna neighborhood to prepare the compound for use as an IDF recruitment office and IDF museum. The roughly 8.9-acre site will replace the military’s existing Jerusalem recruitment office in Romema, with additional plans for a defense minister’s office. The move follows Israel’s 2024 law banning UNRWA operations, which forced the closure of its Jerusalem offices in January 2025, and the demolition of the former headquarters in January 2026. The government had approved the project earlier this year as part of efforts to expand the defense establishment’s presence in the capital. The new facilities are expected to include exhibition and educational space for the planned museum.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reportedly made an unannounced visit to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, just days before Israel’s election. The visit comes amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli discussions about potentially resuming major military operations against Iran. Hegseth confirmed in a social media post that he was in the Central Command area of responsibility and met with American service members on what he called a historic mission, without specifying the location. The Pentagon declined to comment publicly on the trip.
Israel’s elite Yamam counterterrorism unit and Shin Bet operatives arrested two terror suspects allegedly planning a terrorist attack against Israeli civilians. Acting on Shin Bet intelligence, security forces intercepted the terror suspects on Highway 1 near the Latrun Interchange. No security personnel were injured, and both terror suspects were transferred to Shin Bet custody for further interrogation. The operation was carried out by a joint counterterrorism team known as the Tequila unit.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed 250 technology and innovation leaders from all 50 U.S. states to the Foreign Ministry as part of the flagship “Flightech” delegation. The initiative, part of Israel’s “50 States, One Israel” program, aims to expand technological cooperation, create business opportunities, and build long-term partnerships between the two countries. The delegation, which includes entrepreneurs, investors, and technology executives, is visiting Israel this week for meetings with Israeli innovators and exposure to local companies. It builds on an earlier Foreign Ministry program that brought American state legislators to the country.
World
Violent protests across France included the vandalism of a temporary prayer space used by a Paris synagogue and damage to Jewish-owned stores. Members of the Ohalei Yaakov congregation in the city’s 19th arrondissement found their temporary worship site ransacked overnight, with siddurim, tefilin, and items from lockers scattered on the floor, though Sifrei Torah appeared unharmed. The Jewish Community Protection Service said the incident looked primarily like an attempted burglary, noting the absence of antisemitic graffiti or other clear signs of targeted hate. In Marseille, several businesses owned by Jewish individuals sustained damage during the unrest. Nationwide demonstrations saw hundreds of thousands take to the streets, with widespread looting, fires, and clashes that left shops, vehicles, and public buildings damaged. Authorities continue investigating the incidents. The Combat Antisemitism Movement described the Paris break-in as a warning sign amid the broader disorder.
Two Jewish women were assaulted in separate attacks in northeast London, with one man arrested on suspicion of racially and religiously aggravated grievous bodily harm. Shomrim said it received a call from a visibly Jewish woman who reported being punched in the face by a middle-aged man. Volunteers arrived about 30 seconds later and witnessed the man assaulting another Jewish woman, punching her twice in the face and leaving her with significant bruising. Metropolitan Police officers arrested a 33-year-old man in the area after he was detained by the volunteers and are treating the incident as a suspected antisemitic hate crime. One of the victims was pushing a baby in a pram at the time of the attack.
Japan successfully launched its H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center, carrying the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft on a groundbreaking five-year mission. The spacecraft is expected to reach Mars in 2027, land on its moon Phobos, and collect at least 10 grams of soil and rock samples before returning them to Earth in 2031. The mission aims to be the world’s first sample return from a Martian moon and could provide insights into the origins of Mars and its moons. The nearly five-ton spacecraft separated from the rocket about 71 minutes after liftoff. It will conduct surveys and attempt landings on Phobos with assistance from a rover developed with French and German teams.
Morocco has inaugurated a Museum of Jewish Moroccan Culture in Fez, highlighting centuries of Jewish life in the country, the European Jewish Congress said. Located in the city’s historic Mellah, one of Morocco’s oldest Jewish quarters, the museum displays rare manuscripts, religious objects, and other artifacts documenting Moroccan Jewish history. The site was donated by the Jewish community of Fez, and the project was launched by King Mohammed VI during a 2019 visit as part of efforts to rehabilitate the historic medina. Collections include ritual and everyday objects, archaeological pieces, archives, and works of art spanning more than 2,500 years of Jewish presence.
Colombia has announced its withdrawal as both a member and co-chair of The Hague Group, with Foreign Minister Omar Bula saying the country rejects what he called “a group created to isolate and attack Israel.” Colombia was a founding member of the bloc when it was established in January 2025, while Bolivia and Honduras have also withdrawn. The move comes amid a major diplomatic shift toward Israel, including Colombia’s opening of an embassy in Jerusalem. Bula made the announcement during a visit to Israel and the embassy inauguration, describing the restoration of ties as historic. The Hague Group had been formed to coordinate legal and diplomatic measures against Israel over the conflict in Gaza. The decision follows the election of President Abelardo de la Espriella, who has reversed policies of the previous administration that severed relations.
