Weekly roundup of world briefs

IDF base’s dining hall reopens a week after deadly Hezbollah strike

(JNS) — The dining hall of the Israel Defense Forces training base, has been repaired and reopened one week after a deadly drone attack by Iran’s Lebanese terror proxy Hezbollah.

According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, restoration work was completed on the eve of the Sukkot holiday. 

The drone strike on Oct. 13 killed four soldiers and wounded dozens more at the Golani Brigade training base, located near Binyamina in northern Israel.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant toured the dining hall the day after the attack, pledging to find solutions to the threat posed by Hezbollah’s unmanned vehicles.

“This is a difficult event with painful results,” he told officers who witnessed the attack. “We must investigate it, study the details and assimilate the lessons in a quick and professional manner.”

Gallant continued: “Faced with the threat of UAVs, we are concentrating a national effort and are engaged in developing solutions that will help deal with the threat.”

Sinwar’s wife seen holding $32,000 Hermès bag

(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces released footage on Saturday showing the wife of recently deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar making her way through a tunnel carrying a $32,000 Hermès Birkin bag. 

She is seen walking behind her husband and children the day before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, in which 1,200 were slaughtered and 251 taken hostage. 

The footage was posted to X by Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

“While the people of Gaza do not have enough money for a tent or basic necessities, we see many examples of Yahya Sinwar and his wife’s special love for money,” Adraee posted in Arabic.

IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari on Saturday said of the footage: “For hours, they go up and down, stocking up on food, a television, and other products for a long stay. He [Sinwar] only cared for his personal survival.” 

According to the post, Sinwar’s wife was carrying a Hermès Birkin 40 Black Togo Gold Hardware. 

It has “tonal stitching, two straps with front toggle closure, clochette with lock and two keys and double rolled handles.

“The interior is lined in black chevre with one zip pocket with an Hermès engraved zipper pull and an open pocket on the opposite side,” according to website Madison Avenue Coutoure, which sells it for the $32,000 price tag the IDF noted.

Harvard donations drop by 15% amid antisemitism scandals

(JNS) — Amid dissatisfaction with Harvard University’s handling of antisemitism on campus, donations to that institution this year dropped by 15 percent over 2023, according to a financial report released on Thursday.

The drop to $1.17 billion in 2024 from $1.38 billion the previous year constitutes the greatest decline in donations in nearly a decade for Harvard, one of the nation’s oldest and wealthiest institutions, Bloomberg reported.

“Some of the new commitments have been disappointing compared to past years,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in an interview with The Harvard Crimson.

Incidents of antisemitism at Harvard over the Israel-Hamas conflict have put the institution at the center of a national controversy.

In January, billionaire donor Ken Griffin cited these issues in announcing that he would cease donations, fearing that the university had “lost its way,” as he put it. “Until Harvard makes it clear that they’re committed to educating young leaders and tackling tough issues, I’m not interested in supporting the institution,” Griffin told CNBC.

Len Blavatnik also suspended his donations following concerns over the university’s handling of antisemitism, according to Bloomberg. His foundation has donated at least $270 million to Harvard.

Earlier this year, Claudine Gay resigned as Harvard president amid controversy over plagiarism and her testimony in a congressional hearing on antisemitism, in which she said that calls to commit genocide against Jews might not violate Harvard’s code of conduct.

Whether or not such calls constituted a violation of Harvard’s rules “depended on the context,” she said, and answer for which she later apologized.

Despite the overall decline in 2024, however, Harvard’s financial position remains robust. Donations that can be spent immediately, known as “current use donations,” reached over $525 million—the second-highest level in the university’s history.

Fifty-nine people killed in Israel by Hezbollah fire since Oct. 8, 2023

(JNS) — Fifty-nine people—28 Israeli civilians and 29 IDF soldiers, as well as a Thai national and an Indian national—have been killed by Hezbollah fire since the terror group opened a front against Israel the day after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 people, according to the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

Some 570 additional people have been wounded, including about 340 civilians.

Last week, Hezbollah introduced changes to its war against the Jewish state that include using precision-guided missiles to target IDF troops.

The Iranian terrorist proxy in Lebanon announced the “transition to a new and escalatory phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy.”

Hezbollah has attacked Israel nearly daily for over 12 months, firing some 10,000 rockets, missiles and drones. Jerusalem has escalated attacks on Hezbollah since adding the return home of its displaced citizens in northern Israel to its official war goals on Sept. 17, 2024.

IDF: Hezbollah bunker under Beirut hospital holds $500 million

By Lilach Shoval

(JNS) — One of the late Hamas chief Hassan Nasrallah’s bunkers, built under Sahel General Hospital in the southern suburbs of Beirut, holds, according to estimates, at least half a billion dollars in US currency and gold, IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Monday evening.

“Tonight, I am going to declassify intelligence on a site that we did not strike—where Hezbollah has millions of dollars in gold and cash—in Hassan Nasrallah’s bunker. Where is the bunker located? Directly under Al-Sahel Hospital in the heart of Beirut.”

A significant portion of Hezbollah’s budget is funded by Iran, with monies funneled through Syria and then into Lebanon. This amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The funds are used for salaries and maintaining the terrorist organization’s infrastructure.

In addition, according to the IDF, Hezbollah is the largest employer in Lebanon, and has raised hundreds of millions of dollars through organizations posing as civilian entities.

Hagari outlined three methods Iran uses to smuggle funds to Hezbollah:

Oil and money transfers from Iran to Syria: The oil is sold to various companies and transported to Lebanon by Hezbollah.

Diplomatic cover: Iran flies money to Lebanon under diplomatic protection via the Iranian embassy in Beirut, from where it reaches Hezbollah.

Hezbollah’s economic initiatives under Iranian sponsorship: This includes gas exports to Syria and the establishment of factories in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Turkey.

The IDF Spokesperson also announced that a man named Mohammad Jaafar Qasir, the commander of Hezbollah’s transfer unit and financial manager, had overseen Hezbollah’s main source of income for years until he was killed in a targeted strike in Beirut in early October.

Originally published by Israel Hayom.

Ex-boxing champ gives Israeli rescue group 100 bulletproof vests

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — American boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. is donating $100,000 to buy 100 bulletproof vests for Israeli medical volunteers on the front lines, in his latest show of support for the Jewish state.

The gift was announced on Monday evening, at an annual Jerusalem concert for the United Hatzalah volunteer emergency-rescue service that raised funds for the purchase of 1,000 protective kits for its volunteers.

About 3,000 people attended the sold-out event organized by the Jerusalem-based service at the city’s International Convention Center, which included performances by Israeli singers Ishay Ribo, Gad Elbaz and Shmuel Star.

“Your presence shows that even in difficult times, we can find strength in unity,” said Eli Beer, United Hatzalah president and founder. “Let’s continue to stand together for our soldiers, our volunteers and our community.”

Mayweather, 47, from Las Vegas, is a boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed between 1996 and 2017. He retired undefeated with an 50-0 record and won 15 major world championships spanning five weight classes from super featherweight to light middleweight.

Earlier this year, he visited Israel in a wartime solidarity trip wearing a large Star of David necklace. At the time, he dedicated a fleet of ambulances to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service.

Israel must give media ‘unimpeded’ access to Gaza, 65 House Dems say

(JNS) — Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House Rules Committee and co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Committee, and 64 Democratic colleagues penned a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for Washington to pressure Israel to allow journalists more access to Gaza.

The 65 members of Congress expressed “deep concern” about “ongoing restrictions on media access in Gaza, which have persisted since the outbreak of hostilities one year ago.”

“It is imperative that the United States urge Israel to allow independent access for U.S. and international journalists, in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fundamental principle of press freedom,” they added. They accused Israel of placing an “overwhelming burden” on local journalists, who “are documenting the war they are living through.”

The members of Congress who signed the letter—including the anti-Israel lawmakers Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), Cori Bush (Mo.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.)—did not mention Hamas or the hostages that the U.S. designated terror group continues to hold in Gaza. 

Israel has accused several Gaza reporters, including those who work for major news organizations, of having direct ties to Palestinian terror organizations.

According to the 65 members of Congress, Israel’s actions “undermine the very foundation of press freedom and democratic accountability.”

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who is Jewish, also signed the letter.

Man gets 14 months for role in shotgun attack on Albany synagogue

(JNS) — Andrew Miller, 38, received a sentence of 14 months imprisonment on Oct. 18, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally purchasing a Kel-Tec 12-gauge pump shotgun for Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 28, who still faces charges.

Police say that Alkhader then used the shotgun to fire shots on Dec. 7 outside of Temple Israel in Albany, N.Y. The attack occurred with at least two dozen preschoolers present, prompting a lockdown.

Miller, who had pleaded guilty on June 20, confessed that he had lied on a Firearms Transaction Record (Form 4473 of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF) when buying the gun.

Alkhader reportedly yelled “Free Palestine” at or near the site of the shooting. He faces up to 20 years in jail and up to $250,000 in fines.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the ATF and the Albany Police Department collaborated on the case.

Zamir Choral Foundation launches program to train Jewish choir conductors

(JNS) — A $500,000 donation to the Zamir Choral Foundation from husband and wife Robert and Vicki Lieberman aims to teach conductors of Jewish choral music.

Named after Matthew Lazar, the foundation’s founder and director, between 12 and 15 fellows will be selected for the program.

Vicki Lieberman, a rabbi, called singing during Shabbat services “some of my most cherished memories.” In a statement, she said it is an honor to help the foundation “engage the next generation of conductors who will enliven the rich heritage of Jewish choral music and inspire, educate and nurture their congregations and audiences.”

Robert Lieberman, a cantor, added that the program would enable Jewish choral music to be secured and expanded throughout the United States and Israel.

Lazar explained that “the conductor integrates music and text, with mastery, precision and excellence, creating inspiring and transformative musical moments,” saying this program “will provide the specialized, intensive training needed to make all this possible.”

It will include in-person retreats and workshops, as well as one-on-one mentoring with Lazar. After completion, Zamir will provide the Lazar Fellows with a certificate and assist them in finding positions.

Hamas shooting Palestinians seeking to flee Gaza fighting

By JNS Staff

(JNS) — Palestinian civilians trying to evacuate intense fighting in the northern Gaza Strip are being shot by Hamas terrorists trying to prevent them from leaving, an Israel Defense Forces medic said on Monday.

Cpl. Shai Gilboa, a medic in the IDF’s 9th Battalion, who was photographed in Jabaliya tending to a Gazan woman with a facial injury, told Israel’s Channel 12 in an interview that Hamas is now resorting to gunfire to prevent Palestinian civilians from heeding Israeli orders to evacuate to designated safe zones during the renewed fighting.

“Our battalion went into action to exert as much military pressure as possible on Hamas terrorists, who held the civilian population in the area and forbade them from evacuating to a safe area,” Gilboa said.

During the clashes, she noted, terrorists in the area opened fire and wounded some of the Gazans who were trying to flee.

“The wounded came to us and we provided them with first aid in the field, which mostly entailed stopping the bleeding,” she said.

The injured civilians were then evacuated from the area and directed toward “local medical forces” for further treatment.

In the interview, Gilboa said that the language barrier was one of several reasons that interactions between Israeli troops and the local population was limited.

“But they smile at us; they wave at us,” she said, “and they curse Hamas in front of us. Not only are they not afraid of us, but many of them are on our side.”

Earlier this week, the IDF said that hundreds of Palestinian civilians have adhered to the military’s calls to evacuate Jabaliya amid a renewed military offensive aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping in the area.

The evacuations were taking place despite the Hamas-run Interior Ministry ordering civilians earlier this month to ignore the instructions to relocate to other safer areas in the Strip.

Hamas routinely uses civilians as human shields.

Last week, the Israeli military said that Hamas terrorists were preventing Palestinian civilians in Jabaliya from evacuating to humanitarian zones amid the military operation in the area, and released a recording with a local resident who reported that the terror group was beating those who tried to leave.

“The problem is that when we follow the army’s instructions and try to go, there are people who come out against us and start hitting us with sticks, telling us ‘Go back, go back,’” the Gaza resident said in the recording.

Thousands of Hamas members are believed to be hidding among tens of thousands of residents in the area.

Hezbollah drone scored direct hit on Netanyahu home

(JNS) — Saturday’s Hezbollah drone attack targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea scored a direct hit on the premier’s home, the military censor cleared for publication on Tuesday.

Following the attempted assassination, security measures for ministers and other officials have been “significantly” reinforced.

“Iran tried to eliminate the prime minister of Israel—it will not escape responsibility,” a senior Israeli government official told Ynet.

According to reports, the assault included three drones, one of which scored a direct hit on a bedroom window at the Caesarea residence. Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, were not home at the time.

“The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake,” the prime minister said in a statement on Saturday, adding, “This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future.

“I say to Iran and its proxies in its axis of evil: Anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price,” Netanyahu warned.

Hezbollah media chief Mohammed Afif during a press conference in Beirut on Tuesday declared the Iranian-backed terrorist organization’s “full, complete and exclusive responsibility for the Caesarea operation.”

The Lebanese terrorist spokesman also warned, “If we did not reach you this time, then we will reach you the next time. Between us lie the days, nights and the battlefield.”