Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Articles from the February 16, 2024 edition


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  • UN had no indication Hamas was building elaborate tunnel system

    Mike Wagenheim|Feb 16, 2024

    (JNS) — Despite the presence of a Hamas terror tunnel system in the Gaza Strip now thought to be larger in scale than the London Underground, the United Nations insists it had no idea the tunnels were being built. Asked on Wednesday whether, given the United Nations’ sizable presence in Gaza via a variety of agencies, there had been any indication to the global body that tunnels were being constructed underground, a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said, “No is clearl...

  • Milei vows to move embassy to Jerusalem, blacklist Hamas

    Charles Bybelezer|Feb 16, 2024

    (JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Wednesday at his office in Jerusalem with Argentine President Javier Milei, who has promised to move his country’s embassy to the capital and designate Hamas a terrorist group. “I’m delighted to welcome you, President Milei, and your delegation, to Israel. You’re a great friend of the Jewish state. We are delighted with your decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move your diplomatic post there, and also, of course, an embassy,” began Netanyahu. “We share the desire for...

  • Obituary - DONALD LEVINE

    Feb 16, 2024

    The Levine family announces the death of Donald Levine. The longevity of his marriage to his wife Harriet indicates his dedication and love of family. He was an avid reader and enjoyed railroad trivia. He instilled in his sons, Harvey and Mark, a strong work ethic stressing the value of hard work, loyalty, and the importance of self-worth. Mr. Donald Levine, 89, Winter Springs, Florida passed away peacefully on Feb. 4, 2024, at HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital, Sanford, Florida following a brief illness. Mr. Levine was born April 29,1934 in...

  • Obituary - JEROME (JERRY) SCHWARTZ

    Feb 16, 2024

    In loving memory of Jerry Schwartz, age 86, who passed away on Jan. 31, 2024. He was a beloved father to Nancy, David, and Randi, and a cherished grandfather to Quinn, Dylan, Isabella, and Sierra. He is pre-deceased by his loving wife Eileen. Born on March 3, 1937, Jerry’s life unfolded as a vibrant tapestry, from his early days as a professional tap dancer to becoming a show booker in his 20s and 30s. His culinary ingenuity shone through the creation of the renowned Imperial Smoked Meats. Retiring as a medical courier, Jerry’s zest for lif...

  • Researcher has sounded alarm for decades about hate in UNRWA camps

    Feb 16, 2024

    By Judy Lash Balint (JNS) — Palestinian children in U.N. Relief and Works Agency camps, mere yards from the border with Israel, talk in a video about killing Jews and returning to their land. “The actions of Hamas match the ideology of UNRWA,” the narrator says. “In the camps, we learned to defend our land and our country,” one boy says. “We learned how to fight, to attack.” Another says of Jews, “with God’s help, very soon, we’ll smash their heads, and we’ll return to our lands.” The three-minute video “The Terror of Return” was filmed at the...

  • As ceasefire deal takes shape, Abbas lays ground for return to Gaza

    Baruch Yedid|Feb 16, 2024

    (JNS) — An Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza will take place in three stages over several weeks, sources in the Palestinian Authority and Fatah claim. Parallel to this, Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas is said to be preparing certain reforms under U.S. pressure that he hopes would allow him to return to power in Gaza. The emerging ceasefire agreement will occur in three phases, according to the high-ranking sources and reports in the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel. The basic formula is the release of one Israeli hostage for 30 i...

  • Weekly roundup of world briefs

    Feb 16, 2024

    New Title VI probes of Harvard, UMich, New School, USF, Indiana (JNS) — The U.S. Department of Education announced five new investigations under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Law. Harvard University, the University of Michigan, The New School (New York City), Indiana University-Bloomington, the Butler School District 53 (Illinois) and the University of South Florida are all being probed for violations “for discrimination involving shared ancestry.” Campus Reform said it filed the complaint against Indiana, a public university. The Educa...

  • Dutch lawmakers urged to make UNRWA funding freeze permanent

    Etgar Lefkovits|Feb 16, 2024

    (JNS) — The heads of the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus on Feb. 7 pressed Dutch legislators to cut funding to UNRWA altogether, as Israel seeks alternatives for the U.N. body over its ties to Palestinian terrorism. The discussion, at the Dutch House of Representatives, comes amid Israeli calls for UNRWA to be replaced by responsible aid agencies; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the work and functions of UNRWA need to be preserved. “With the recent horrific reports verifying UNRWA employees’ complicity in the Oct. 7...

  • Grandson of Munich massacre victim assaulted in Berlin in alleged hate crime

    Toby Axelrod|Feb 16, 2024

    BERLIN (JTA) — Police in Berlin have arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly attacked and seriously wounded a Jewish student in a bar on Friday. The Jewish student and his family say the attack was a hate crime. The victim, Lahav Shapira, 30, was hospitalized and underwent surgery for non-life-threatening injuries to his face. He is the grandson of Israeli athletics coach Amitzur Shapira, who was murdered by Palestinian terrorists in the Munich Olympics terror attack in 1972. His older brother, Shahak Shapira, is a prominent comedian and w...

  • IDF officers who notify families of the fallen receive respite

    Feb 16, 2024

    (JNS) - The OneFamily organization on Sunday hosted a unique day retreat for 25 of the most senior officers of the "IDF Casualty Center," providing a short respite and critical support for soldiers with one of the most difficult jobs in the army. The IDF Casualties Center is a unique division of 1,800 people tasked with notifying the families of fallen soldiers. The unit was founded in 1948 but only became active two years after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which claimed the lives of thousands of...

  • Netanyahu: Israel won't accept 'delusional demands,' victory 'within reach'

    Akiva Van Koningsveld|Feb 16, 2024

    (JNS) — Israel will not agree to the “delusional demands” Hamas is making to release the 136 remaining hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address on Feb. 7. Bowing to the terrorist organization’s demands will lead to another massacre and a “major disaster” that no Israeli citizen will accept, he emphasized, speaking from his office in Jerusalem. “We are on our way to total victory,” he declared. “Total victory over Hamas will not take years. It will take months. Victory is within reach....

  • Amid calls for her resignation, Omar claims she was misquoted

    Feb 16, 2024

    (JNS) — Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a member of the so-called progressive “Squad” in Congress and originally from Mogadishu, is facing calls for her resignation after, critics say, she promised to do all she could to prevent a Somaliland deal with Ethiopia over access to the sea. “The language she employed was regrettably unbecoming of both the office she holds and the constituents she represents,” wrote Rhoda Elmi, deputy foreign affairs minister of Somaliland, which declared its independence from Somalia in 1991 but which most countries...