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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Israel’s Arrow 3 system deployment ceremony at the Holzdorf Air Force Base where the Israeli flag flew alongside the German flag, while the German military band played “Hatikvah”

Posted on December 8, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

I24NEWS
$4 billion deal: Israel delivers Arrow-3 Missile defense system to Germany
December 3, 2025

Israel officially handed over its long-range Arrow-3 missile defense system to the German Air Force on Wednesday during a ceremony at Holzdorf Air Base, south of Berlin. The $4 billion contract, the largest in Israeli military export history, marks the first time the Arrow-3 has been deployed and operated independently by a third country. The Israeli delegation included Director General of the Ministry of Defense Amir Baram, Head of DDR&D Danny Gold, Director of the Missile Defense Organization Moshe Fattal, and IAI CEO Boaz Levy. German military officials also attended…Baram, a descendant of Holocaust survivors, called the handover “a deeply moving historical moment,” adding, “We, Israelis, want to see Germany strong and prosperous. Our cooperation will only grow stronger, in the air, on land, and in space.” READ MORE

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“Too many Americans have no idea how the Muslim Brotherhood actually operates, or why its documented strategy matters for homeland security”

Posted on December 8, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

ALGEMEINER
US Lawmakers Advance Bill to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organization
Corey Walker
December 4, 2025

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday advanced legislation to designate the entire Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, continuing a bipartisan push in Washington to combat the global Islamist network. Members of the committee voted to approve the bill on a bipartisan basis, with every Republican and several Democrats supporting the measure just over a week after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to determine whether to designate certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists. READ MORE

JEWISH INSIDER House amendment to Muslim Brotherhood bill removes key terrorism designation, sanctions provisions ‘The version approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee lacks the teeth of the original House bill as well as the current legislation in the Senate,’ an official at a pro-Israel group said

6 SOUTH FLORIDA CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood, designated as foreign terrorist organizations in Florida: DeSantis Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations…The executive order alleges that the organizations have ties with anti-Israel groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Palestinian groups. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol will now be allowed to “prevent unlawful activities by the terrorist organizations,” according to the executive order.

HOMELAND SECURITY TODAY The Documented Strategy of Civilization Jihad By The Muslim Brotherhood For years, conversations about the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence in the West have been dismissed as fringe, conspiratorial, or Islamophobic. The result is that many policymakers, security professionals, and community leaders have been conditioned to recoil from even discussing the issue, but the facts are not controversial. They are not secret. They are not speculative. The Muslim Brotherhood itself laid out its strategy in writing more than three decades ago and we are living with the consequences of ignoring it.

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Qatar funded Al Jazeera conference features helpful perspectives on October 7: “What happened was merely a rehearsal that shows that liberating Jerusalem is possible”

Posted on December 8, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

FDD
Al Jazeera’s Academic Arm Platforms Hamas Denialism and Anti-Israel Propaganda
Toby Dershowitz
December 8, 2025

Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, the research arm of Qatar’s state-backed media giant, co-hosted an academic conference last week in Qatar’s Education City that whitewashed Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre — where terrorists raped, mutilated, and murdered 1,200 people — and dismissed UN-verified sexual violence and other terrorist acts as Israeli fabrications. Al Jazeera partnered with Hamad Bin Khalifa University to host the November 29-30 gathering, titled “International Media and the War on Gaza: Modalities of Discourse and the Clash of Narratives,” which drew academics to “deconstruct Western narratives” and the alleged role of Western media in producing “propaganda manipulating international public opinion.” READ MORE

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In effort to dismiss suit, DePaul University argues it has no duty to protect its students

Posted on December 7, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

JPOST
Jewish students at DePaul continue to face threats after violent campus attack
Mathilda Heller
December 11, 2025

Jewish students at DePaul continue to face threats after violent campus attack “We know that the university [DePaul] is worried because of this lawsuit because they’re exposed, but it also gives us the ability to work with the other Jewish students to help advance the other things that need to happen to make it a safe space. Such as the idea of the Jewish tax.” The Jewish Tax concept refers to how Jewish clubs or institutions are expected to pay for their own security for events or other, a cost which is not reimbursed, but which many believe should be. “I’ve had students reach out to me and say they went to DePaul seven years ago and that the atmosphere on campus then was also not safe for Jewish students…The university has filed a motion to dismiss Kaminsky and Long’s lawsuit against it, which will be heard tomorrow, on Wednesday. The university is arguing that it did not have a duty to protect Long. READ MORE

JEWISH INSIDER Jewish leaders cautiously optimistic over Northwestern deal with Trump administration Jewish leaders with ties to Northwestern University are cautiously celebrating a $75 million settlement reached on Friday with the Trump administration to restore federal funding that was frozen earlier this year over allegations that administrators failed to address campus antisemitism. Under the agreement — which will restore at least $790 million in funding that was frozen in April — the Illinois private university agreed to end its commitment to the Deering Meadow agreement, a controversial pact made with anti-Israel encampment participants in the spring of 2024. The agreement allowed students to protest the war in Gaza until the end of the school year so long as tents were removed and encouraged employers not to rescind job offers for student protesters.

JEWISH INSIDER Columbia antisemitism task force report finds all its Middle East faculty are anti-Zionist The report calls for more ideological diversity among faculty, while recommending a balance between free expression and preventing discrimination

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“The massive Somali scam shows how much has changed in the place where I grew up—and not for the better”

Posted on December 7, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

FREE PRESS
Minnesota Vice: How Corruption Took Hold In My State
Dave Kansas
December 9, 2025

…Things have changed in the past few years. If I had a save/get key on my computer that wrote “so strange for this to happen in Minnesota,” it would be worn out by now. George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police. We had Somali immigrants go to Syria to fight alongside ISIS. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar joined the Squad. Democratic socialists were chic here long before Zohran Mamdani. “Murderapolis,” the nickname Minneapolis received during a murder surge in the 1990s, made a comeback. A Minnesota state representative and her husband were shot dead in the middle of the night in their home by a man posing as a police officer. A shooter fired through the windows of Annunciation Catholic School during a Mass to celebrate the start of the school year, killing two children and injuring dozens. READ MORE

FREE PRESS Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Putting Clan over Country Will Ruin America The Minnesota fraud scheme shows that only full assimilation can change certain immigrants’ sectarian tendencies. Minnesota takes pride in its restraint, decency, and an earnestness that sometimes verges on self-parody. Yet that identity is complicated by the presence of one of the world’s largest Somali communities, which hasn’t simply settled in Minnesota but has clustered, tightly and predictably, with the same social logic that governs life in Mogadishu, where I was born. Anyone who knows Somali culture has long known where this would lead. Anyone familiar with Edward Banfield could have predicted it twice

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“The real problem isn’t Israel or Zionism. It’s whether Western civilization still matters”

Posted on December 7, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

FUTURE OF JEWISH
The ’I don’t support Israel’ conversation needs to stop.
Joshua Hoffman
December 6, 2025

At some point over the last few decades, “I don’t support Israel” became a makeshift virtue badge, a way for people to signal solidarity without ever interrogating what they were actually defending. But the truth is simple: This conversation has never really been about supporting Israel. It’s about supporting the core values that built the West — values Israel embodies more consistently and courageously than almost any other nation under siege. When people, particularly in the West, say “I support Israel,” what they are really saying, whether they realize it or not, is that they support the basic moral framework that makes free societies possible. When Westerners say, “I don’t support Israel,” what they are really saying is that they reject the very values that make their own freedoms possible, even as they continue to benefit from them. READ MORE

ARUTZ SHEVA 1000 leaders in Shiloh: ‘Israel is the firewall between radical Islam and America’ More than one thousand American Christian leaders and influencers visited ancient Shiloh last Friday, in what organizers described as the flagship event of the largest public‑diplomacy mission in Israel’s history. The delegation toured the site in the Binyamin region, prayed for the State of Israel, and expressed their solidarity.

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“Baranes is a repeated donor to Democratic candidates who has openly advocated against one of Trump’s signature policies, his efforts to limit refugee admissions”

Posted on December 7, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

TIMES OF ISRAEL
Trump taps pro-refugee Jewish immigrant as new White House ballroom architect
Philissa Cramer
December 6, 2025

After parting ways with the first architect hired to carry out his vision for the White House’s East Wing, US President Donald Trump has picked a replacement — turning to a firm run by prominent Jewish architect who once called on Trump to keep the country’s doors open to refugees and immigrants. Shalom Baranes was born soon after his parents fled Libya amid antisemitic sentiment there, coming to the United States as a child with the help of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, now known as HIAS. He rose to prominence as an architect in Washington, DC, where he has designed and renovated both private and government buildings, including the post-9/11 Pentagon, that trend toward the modern. READ MORE

PUNCH LIST ARCHITECTURE NEWSLETTER Trump’s new ballroom architect, Shalom Baranes, is a self-described “refugee” who publicly challenged the president on immigration What might turn a few heads are these details: The new architect in question, Shalom Baranes, is a self-described refugee who was born in Italy to Jewish parents who had fled Libya, and who arrived in New York with his family at age six. During Trump’s first term, Baranes published an op-ed in the Washington Post that delicately, but unmistakably, challenged the administration’s policies on immigration, taking aim at the Muslim travel ban in particular.

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“Israel-Lebanon meeting marked the first time in over 40 years that the two states held direct talks”

Posted on December 4, 2025 by ArchitectGuy

ISRAEL HAYOM (by agreement with JNS)
Israel, Lebanon launch non-military economic talks
December 3, 2025

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed acting head of The National Security Council Gil Reich to send a representative on Wednesday to meet with Lebanese governmental-economic officials. This marks a first attempt to establish a basis for a relationship and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon in many years…The representative will be Dr. Uri Resnick, signaling the start of civilian negotiations with Lebanon that include civilian – not only military – representatives on both sides, unlike in the past. Earlier on Wednesday, the Lebanese Presidential Office announced the appointment of former Ambassador Simon Karam, an attorney, as the head of the Lebanese delegation to the meetings of “the mechanism” (supervision committee that governs the implementation of the 2024 ceasefire). READ MORE

ALGEMEINER Israel, Lebanon Send Civilian Envoys to Truce Committee for First Direct Talks in Decades Israel and Lebanon sent civilian envoys to a military committee monitoring their ceasefire, top officials from both said on Wednesday, in a move set to expand the scope of talks between the long-time foes for the first time. The meeting was a step toward a months-old US demand that the two countries broaden talks beyond monitoring the 2024 ceasefire, in line with US President Donald Trump’s agenda of peace agreements across the Middle East. It came even as fears of a renewed flare-up between Israel and powerful Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah persist.

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