US visa bans extended to “countries that have been subject to successful efforts to overthrow or undermine their governments, with the result that radical terrorist groups operate with minimal, if any, interference from law enforcement”

Posted on December 16, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

JNS
Trump adds Palestinian Authority, Syria to US visa restriction list
December 16, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a new travel and immigration ban on Tuesday for anyone attempting to enter the United States with documents issued by the Palestinian Authority or Syria. The presidential proclamation expands the full and partial bans on 19 countries that was first issued in June to a longer list of 27 countries, mostly in Africa, and the Palestinian Authority. The U.S. secretary of state, attorney general, homeland security secretary and director of national intelligence determined that the countries in question and the Palestinian Authority “cannot meet basic criteria for identifying their nationals and residents who pose national security and public safety threats and for sharing information with the United States.” READ MORE

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“But the most dangerous phase of the war may unfold far from the battlefield. It will unfold in Washington, inside rooms where the real leverage of this conflict now sits”

Posted on December 16, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

FUTURE OF JEWISH
Israel faces its most important test since 1973. And it begins in Washington.
Guy Goldstein
December 12, 2025

…Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan have never been so coordinated. They have agreed, explicitly and implicitly, on one message: If the ceasefire stalls, if its second phase does not begin, if Gaza does not move toward the Arabs’ preferred governance model, the failure is not on them; the failure is on Israel, and Israel is understood to be America’s responsibility. In that framing, any breakdown becomes a political embarrassment for Washington and a personal humiliation for Trump, because the mediator is judged by whether he can deliver the party (Israel) seen as under his influence. Turkish officials have already warned that the deal will fail without strong U.S. pressure on Israel. This is not messaging; it is preparation. Of course, these states are not protecting Palestinians. READ MORE

JPOST Trump’s strategy exposes Netanyahu’s dangerous miscalculation  For years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cast US President Donald Trump as Israel’s greatest ally – a modern Cyrus who recognized Jerusalem, brokered the Abraham Accords, and stands unwavering against Iran. The Trump administration’s newly released National Security Strategy should shatter that comfortable narrative. Far from offering Israel a blank check, the document reveals a fundamental misalignment between Netanyahu’s approach and Trump’s vision for the Middle East – one that threatens to transform Israel from a favored partner into a regional obstacle. Two critical flash points expose this growing rift: Syria and the fate of the Palestinian nationalist movement. On both, Netanyahu’s government has adopted positions directly contrary to stated American interests, mistaking Trump’s past support for permanent indulgence.

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“The friendship between Jews and ordinary Iranians is alive and well, with Iranians taking to social media to express support for Israel after the Bondi attack. We must stand with them in turn”

Posted on December 15, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

JPOST
Fifty years of Islamic rule can’t erase 2,600 years of Jewish-Iranian friendship
Alex Winston
December 18, 2025

…It is essential to distinguish between Iran and the regime that has ruled it since 1979. The Islamic Republic is not the inheritor of Persian civilization; it is merely a brief interruption in a long chain of comradeship. Its hostility toward Jews and toward Israel is not rooted in Iran’s ancient history, culture, or collective memory. Rather, it stems from an Islamist extremist ideology enforced on the people. Today, in 2025, the friendship between Jews and ordinary Iranians is alive and well. It was telling that at the Bondi Beach vigil and hanukkiah lighting in London, one of the most prominent flags seen in the crowd was the Lion and Sun flag, the symbol of imperial Iran. It is a flag that has appeared time and time again at marches or gatherings showing support for Israel or Jewish communities post-October 7. READ MORE

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“Newly public footage shows Hersh and his fellow hostages lighting a menorah in captivity. It is a reminder that, even in the bleakest of circumstances, there is hope”

Posted on December 14, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

FREE PRESS
Rachel Goldberg-Polin: ‘I Saw Our Dead Son Suddenly Alive Again’
Rachel Goldberg-Polin
December 14, 2025

In July this year, my husband and I were contacted by the person from the Israeli intelligence services whose job it is to tell us bad news. That is his actual job. Each of the hostage families has such a person. It is an unfortunate role to be in charge of kicking people when they are still down from the last time they were kicked down. He has a nice face and seems like a decent person…Now, the man with the nice face called to say that they had recovered more than three hours of footage of Hersh and the other five hostages with whom he lived and was murdered in Gaza’s tunnels. READ MORE

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“Before his death, Kirk spoke of how his favorite trip was to Israel. Pastor McCoy believes that a major reason is that Kirk learned the importance of keeping the Sabbath”

Posted on December 13, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

CBN
‘Stop in the Name of God’: Charlie Kirk’s Final Book Honors ‘Transforming’ Sabbath
Paul Petitte
December 16, 2025

The impact of Charlie Kirk’s death from an assassin’s bullet continues to grow. We are also learning more about what profoundly changed him through his new book, and Stop in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life…On his Turning Point USA podcast shortly before he died, Kirk declared, “If you are feeling overrun by society, might be feeling depressed or anxious, here is one way you might be able to improve: turn your phone off for one day – no content, no social media, no work. Your mental health will improve dramatically.” “So, he got it,” McCoy said, “And that inspired him. He just did a deep dive study, like he does with everything. And then, he wrote the book that is now being published posthumously. It was his, you know – magnum opus, so to speak. “Stop in the Name of God.” READ MORE

COMBAT ANTISEMITISM Calling Jew-Hatred ‘Brain Rot,’ Erika Kirk Vows to Take On Antisemitism On the Right Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk, pledged to confront antisemitism on the political right in remarks broadcast this weekend. She specifically addressed Holocaust denial during a prime-time CBS News town hall moderated by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss…The conversation took a sharp turn after question from Bob Milgrim. Earlier this year, Milgrim lost his daughter, Sarah Lynn Milgrim, alongside her partner, Yaron Lischinsky.

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“Tikkun olam offered an irresistible proposition: take whatever good you’re doing for the world and call it Jewish”

Posted on December 13, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

FUTURE OF JEWISH
‘Tikkun Olam’ is not Jewish at all.
Joshua Hoffman
December 13, 2025

For most of Jewish history, Tikkun Olam did not mean what many Jews now casually think it means. It was not a feel-good injunction to “make the world better” through activism, nor was it a political slogan meant to mirror whatever the prevailing social-justice fashion demanded. Its earliest appearance in our tradition sits quietly in the Mishnah (the body of classical rabbinic teachings codified circa 200 CE), where the Sages use the phrase “mipnei tikkun ha-olam” to justify legal rulings that preserve social stability — clarifying divorce law, regulating debt, preventing injustices that could tear communities apart…These were not broad universalist missions but targeted, halakhic (Jewish law) repairs to prevent societal breakdown. READ MORE

JEWISH JOURNAL David Suissa: Instead of Expanding Judaism, Tikkun Olam May Have Diluted It  Compared to feeding the hungry or saving the planet, how important can it be to light Shabbat candles? That question and similar ones have been on my mind lately, as I’ve thought about tikkun olam, the movement to “repair the world.” For many years now, tikkun olam has become a driving spiritual force and an elevated Jewish value throughout much of the liberal wing of American Jewry. How could it not be? What can be more meaningful to one’s life than to repair a broken world? One question, however, that few people have asked is: Did tikkun olam become more attractive and meaningful than Judaism itself? Tikkun olam proponents respond by not distinguishing between the two: Fighting for social justice is Judaism. Everything socially worthy, in fact–  helping the marginalized, protecting migrants, assisting the homeless, dealing with climate change, defending democracy, etc.—can be lumped under “Jewish values.

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“The shocking examples given in the report are a harsh reminder of how deep and pervasive antisemitism is at Columbia University”

Posted on December 13, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

NEW YORK POST
Final Columbia University antisemitism report details disturbing examples of Jewish students being cruelly singled out
Chris Nesi and Carl Campanile
December 11, 2025

A Columbia University public health instructor ranted to 400 incoming students about how the school’s prominent Jewish donors only made their gifts to “launder blood money” and denied the existence of the Jewish state, according to a stunning antisemitism report released by the Ivy League school…“Few, if any, of the professors have been held accountable and the vast majority are teaching today. Tenure is not a free pass to violate students’ civil rights and real change will only come through accountability. Columbia clearly has a lot of work to do.” READ MORE

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Video surfaces of Gazan physician murdering IDF hostage; Hamas hoarded baby formula in warehouse in order to reinforce its narrative of a famine orchestrated by Israel

Posted on December 10, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

THE JC
Hostage Noa Marciano was murdered by Gazan doctor, claims father after receiving harrowing video
Siam Goorwich
December 10, 2025

The father of Noa Marciano has spoken publicly for the first time, sharing harrowing details of his daughter’s final moments in Gaza. Speaking to a small crowd, her father Avi claimed that Noa was murdered by a doctor in Shifa hospital, who injected air into her veins – and that the family found out about her death after they were sent a video of her murder via the social media network Telegram.  “Noa is begging for her life,” he said of the video, adding that, by the end of the clip, “she’s sweating but there’s no life to her body”.  Noa, 19, was one of seven female soldiers to be kidnapped from the Nahal Oz military base on October 7 – the other being Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Ori Megidish – and the only one not to have returned alive. Her body was recovered from a building adjacent to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City by the IDF in November 2023, and returned to Israel for burial.  READ MORE

I24 NEWS Hamas hid tons of baby formula to damage Israel with starvation claims Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian activist from Gaza based in the United States, accused Hamas of deliberately worsening the food crisis in Gaza by hiding significant quantities of infant formula and nutritional supplements intended for children. According to him, the organization allegedly stockpiled these products in a warehouse under the authority of the Ministry of Health in Gaza in order to reinforce its narrative of a famine orchestrated by Israel. In a video posted on social media, Alkhatib showed a large building filled with boxes of baby formula and nutritional drinks. He claimed that these supplies were hidden at the height of the humanitarian crisis in recent months, while images of malnutrition were multiplying and sparking international outrage.

JNS Hamas chief rejects key points of Trump peace plan, calls for Israel’s destruction
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on Saturday repeated his call for Israel’s destruction, rejecting U.S.- and U.N.-backed demands to disarm the Iranian-supported terrorist group and demilitarize the Gaza Strip. “The time has come for the ummah [the Islamic nation] to commit to the liberation of Jerusalem as the banner and symbol of freeing Palestine; to cleansing the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque; and to reclaiming Islamic and Christian holy sites,” the top terrorist said, speaking by video link at a pro-Palestinian conference hosted in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

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Families of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, and Alex Lobanov approve release of videos filmed by Hamas terrorists in Gaza tunnel, intended for propaganda, recovered by IDF

Posted on December 10, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

TIMES OF ISRAEL
Harrowing footage shows 6 hostages lighting Hanukkah candles 8 months before execution
Jessica Steinberg
December 12, 2025

Harrowing footage of the six Israeli hostages murdered by Hamas terrorists in August 2024 was released Thursday night by their families after being aired on Israeli television, providing a uniquely extensive glimpse into what the hostages went through during their first months in Hamas captivity. The videos included footage of the captives marking Hanukkah in December 2023, with the release of the clips coming days before the Jewish holiday begins this year. While the footage was filmed by Hamas terrorists for propaganda purposes, the material is unlike other clips published during the war that showed hostages reading statements evidently dictated by their captors. In the clips, which the Israel Defense Forces recovered during military operations in the Gaza Strip, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, and Alex Lobanov are seen together in a tunnel. READ MORE

ARUTZ SHEVA ‘The Beautiful Six’: Families of the six hostages reflect on Hanukkah captivity video The families of six murdered hostages share an emotional response to footage showing their loved ones lighting Hanukkah candles in captivity, emphasizing their strength, unity, and humanity. “The families of the Beautiful Six (Hersh, Carmel, Ori, Eden, Almog, and Alex) want to thank the people of Israel and the millions around the world who watched the harrowing footage of our loved ones with us. Lighting Hanukkah candles in that dark place captures the essence of the Jewish spirit: light prevailing over darkness,” the families said.

THE ETTINGER REPORT Chanukah Guide for the Perplexed, 2025 Chanukah (evening of December 14 – December 22, 2025) is the only Jewish holiday that commemorates an ancient national liberation struggle in the Land of Israel, unlike Passover, Sukkot/Tabernacles and Shavu’ot/Pentecost, which commemorate the liberation from slavery in Egypt to independence in the land of Israel, and unlike Purim, which commemorates liberation from a Persian attempt to annihilate the Jewish people of Persia. According to Israel’s Founding Father, David Ben Gurion: Chanukah commemorates “the struggle of the Maccabees, which was one of the most dramatic clashes of civilizations in human history, not merely a political-military struggle against foreign oppression. The reputation of Jews as superb warriors was reaffirmed by the success of the Maccabees on the battlefield. In fact, they were frequently hired asmercenaries by Egypt, Syria, Carthage, Rome and other global and regional powers. READ MORE

AISH All things Hanukkah

TABLET Tablet’s Ultimate Hanukkah Gift Guide From luxe halva treats to Tel Aviv streetwear, discover more than 50 unique presents for kids, friends, foodies, and more 

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Oren: “Establishing a Palestinian state today, in the aftermath of October 7, is not only not in Israel’s interest but is, far beyond that, certifiably insane”

Posted on December 9, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

CLARITY
Face-Off on a Two-State Resolution
Michael Oren
December 11, 2025

Last Wednesday evening, December 3, in Toronto, I took part in a Munk Debate. For those unfamiliar with the institution, Munk defines its mission as helping “the world rediscover civil and substantive public debates by convening the brightest thinkers of our time to weigh in on the big issues of the day.”..Arguing that the two-state solution was very much in Israel’s interest were former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Arguing against were ex-Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and this writer. Addressing an overwhelming liberal audience, Ayelet and I were expected to lose, and yet we both viewed the debate as a way of explaining to the world—and especially to those standing by Israel throughout this most difficult period—why two-thirds of all Israelis now oppose the two-state solution. READ MORE

UN WATCH “Remarkable Political Shift” at UN: Germany & Italy Withhold Support for Renewing UNRWA’s Mandate For the first time ever, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Czechia, Bulgaria and Latvia withheld support for renewing UNRWA’s mandate, at a vote on Friday at the UN General Assembly. Germany’s Der Spiegel called it a “remarkable political shift.” And in a vote on a second UNRWA resolution on Friday, those six EU countries were further joined by Austria, Romania and Lithuania. In previous years, all 27 EU states voted in favour of these resolutions. The voting changes came in wake of UN Watch’s parliamentary testimony and media appearances in Germany and Italy, releasing a major report that exposed UNRWA’s terror ties….UN Watch’s launch of its new UNRWA Terror Network, an interactive investigative platform exposing the systemic infiltration of UNRWA by terrorist organizations, was recently covered on the front page of Germany’s Die Welt newspaper. 

JPOST UN General Assembly calls for Israeli withdrawal from Golan Heights in approved resolution Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon: “The UN General Assembly once again proves how disconnected it is from reality. Instead of addressing the crimes of the Iranian axis and the dangerous activities of militias in Syria, it demands that Israel withdraw from the Golan Heights – a vital defense line that protects our citizens”

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