Global intifada makes the Haganah necessary again

David Garrett

A guard from the Hagana accompanies a truck carrying oranges in pre-state Israel on Oct. 24, 1938. Credit: Zoltan Kluger and Israel National Photo Collection via Wikimedia Commons.

Shot in front of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., a young couple who were to get engaged in Jerusalem saw their dreams shattered—theirs and their families—at the hands of a murderer who once belonged to the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which has expressed support for Hamas and organized marches against Israel.

Yet the group’s actions don’t seem to have done much to shake local authorities or the media out of their comfortable torpor. This recurring pattern of negligence in the West, despite having been called out by the World Zionist Organization and others on multiple occasions, once again failed to avoid the terrible consequences that were foreseen.

In many countries, the perceived happiness, security and integration of Jewish communities is no longer a barometer of democracy. Their isolation is increasingly evident, and they dread reading the daily news, in which fierce criticism and increasingly offensive public statements against Israel from politicians, journalists, influencers and ideological agitators practically compete to see who can generate the most hatred on the street. It is sad to see such wretchedness in individuals who should be an example of morality and generosity of spirit, but are instead a hub of demoralization and baseness.

Like the repeater mechanism in clocks, everyone continually claims that “the Jews have nothing to do with this, that it’s the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government’s fault,” while at the same time being hostile to everything of significance in Jewish life. Judaism is considered anachronistic. In parts of Europe, mohels and shochets are investigated as suspects. Jewish museums and communal sites are left to their own devices and self-protection.

The promotion of Jewish history is becoming an increasingly uncomfortable topic, and it is often silenced because it chronicles persecutions against the Jews everywhere, as it must. The Holocaust is presented as having arisen out of nowhere and from the mind of an individual who hated the values of the political left. And, of course, the Jewish state is defined as an oppressor of Palestinians, who are falsely confused with the ancient Philistines, and the terrorist movement that governs them by force.

The age-old antisemitic myths of Jewish selfishness and causing harm to others are thrown against Israel, cloaked in the seductive trappings of “international law” violations. The desire of Israeli citizens to exist in safety is constantly falsified and confused with a supposed “bad Jew,” Netanyahu. As was the case in the Soviet Union, the bad Jew/good Jew technique is used everywhere to destroy the most productive leaders of the Jewish cause. Neither the moral, intellectual or cultural quality of those targeted is given the slightest consideration; quite the contrary. It is no small achievement to spend a few hours each day without being taunted with insults.

The dissemination of antisemitic hatred by elites instigates others into action, committing acts of Jew-hatred, thinking that they will not be stopped or challenged.

What we are witnessing is nothing more than a global intifada that mixes ideals of radical Islam with ideological currents of the political left. Yet many Jewish organizations, instead of tackling this way of hate head-on, are surfing the political waves of the moment so as not to become pariahs in the eyes of the non-Jewish elites.

We could take the extensive catalogue of our disappointments and disillusionment so much further. The question that arises is: What to do now? To suppose that this spiral of hatred and violence can be stopped by keeping everything as it is and relying on third parties is absurd. One only needs to have the slightest notion of history to conclude that more violence will occur and at an increasing rate.

A century after its creation to protect Jews, there is a need to build a new Haganah and to ensure its presence, adapted to the circumstances of time and place, wherever there is a Jewish Diaspora. The operational model must comply with the laws of each country and work in coordination with local security authorities, similar to other Jewish institutions like the life-saving first-responders in Hatzalah. The goal would be to anticipate and stop those who believe they are now free to act as they please and who benefit from an impunity that has no end.

David Garrett – is a defense lawyer and board member of the Jewish Community of Oporto, Portugal.

Israeli Baby Delivered After Pregnant Mother’s Murder in Terror Attack Dies Following Two Weeks in Intensive Care

Ailin Vilches Arguello

On the left: Tzeela Gez, who was shot dead while in a car with her husband in the West Bank, as they were driving to hospital to give birth in May 2025. On the right: Hananel Gez holding his son, Ravid Chaim, who died two weeks after the terrorist attack. Photo: Screenshot

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he spoke with Hananel, whom he praised as “a true Israeli hero,” to offer his support and solidarity.

“The entire people of Israel embrace him in his difficult time and pray that he finds comfort and solace together with his children and the entire family. May their memory be blessed,” Herzog said in a post on X.

Najnowsza zbrodnia Izraela? Karmienie mieszkańców Gazy

Brendan O’Neill
Tłumaczenie: Małgorzata Koraszewska

Brendan O’Neill – brytyjski dziennikarz, redaktor naczelny magazynu „Spiked” , autor głośnej książki A Heretic’s Manifesto: Essays on the Unsayable.

Global Leaders Sound Alarm on Surge of Antisemitism at IHRA Conference

Ailin Vilches Arguello

British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis speaking at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) conference in Jerusalem on May 27, 2025. Photo: Screenshot

British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis warned that anti-Zionism has become “the new antisemitism,” amid mounting global concern over a surge in antisemitic incidents and anti-Jewish hate crimes

Speaking at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) conference in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening, Mirvis asserted that anti-Zionism is increasingly being weaponized to mask anti-Jewish sentiment, disguised as legitimate political criticism of Israel.

Hosted by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, the annual IHRA conference — held last year in the United Kingdom — began with a moment of silence honoring the two Israeli embassy staffers murdered in Washington, DC, last week.

IHRA is an intergovernmental organization comprising dozens of countries dedicated to combating antisemitism and promoting Holocaust research and education. In 2016, IHRA adopted a “working definition” of antisemitism which in the ensuing years has been widely accepted by Jewish groups and lawmakers across the political spectrum. It is now used by hundreds of governing institutions, including the US State Department, European Union, and United Nations.

In his speech, Mirvis emphasized Jerusalem’s vital role as both Israel’s capital and the enduring spiritual and cultural center of Jewish identity and faith.

“For Jews, the very presence of Almighty God is manifest here in this holy city more than in any other place on earth. And God gave this city and this land to the Jewish people for all time,” Mirvis said during the two-day conference.

“Israel is not just a geopolitical reality for the Jewish people. It is far more than that. It’s the center of our Jewish religion,” the Jewish leader continued. “So therefore, if you are anti-Zionist, you are also anti-Jewish. But more than that, you’re anti-Judaism, and your animosity affects the very wellbeing of Jews right around the world.” 
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Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, anti-Israel activism has sparked a rise in antisemitic incidents. In this context, longstanding antisemitic stereotypes are increasingly being directed at Israel, with the term “Zionist” weaponized to mask deep-rooted antisemitic tropes under the pretense of legitimate political critique.

At the same event, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech, calling on European leaders to resist the growing demonization of the Jewish state.

Anti-Israel protesters in European countries “are basically challenging Western civilization [and] free societies as we understand them,” Netanyahu said. Many of these leaders “want to control the rampant attacks that are then directed at them for having relations with Israel, for having contact with it.”

“What you try to do is try to corral your victim when in fact, your countries are the victim. Because what is being done is an attempt to deny Israel, and in fact all free societies the ability to fight these barbarians,” the Israeli leader continued.

“Don’t succumb to the vilification, don’t succumb to this complete aversion of morality,” Netanyahu said. “I urge you to fight antisemitism not only because it’s right. I urge you to fight antisemitism because it will save you.”

During his speech, Netanyahu also warned that Israel is fighting “not merely a seven-front war [against Iran-backed proxies in the Middle East], but an eight-front war,” describing it as a broader struggle of “civilization against barbarism.”

“The most important thing you have to do in fighting antisemitism is to stand up and not be cowered,” the Israeli premier continued. “Do not be afraid to speak up. Speak up, stand up for the truth, stand up for the Jewish people, stand up for civilization.”

During the conference, Saar also delivered a speech in which he condemned international leaders and governments seeking to impose an arms embargo on Israel.

“If these initiatives will be successful, Israel will simply be eliminated,” the top Israeli diplomat said. “There will be another Holocaust – this time on the soil of the Land of Israel.”

“The ancient desire to eliminate the Jewish people has become stronger. It has become a plan of action for our enemies,” he continued.

Noting that 80 years have passed since the Holocaust, Saar emphasized IHRA’s vital role in “safeguarding and passing on the stories and lessons of the Holocaust to future generations.”

Israeli Air Force destroys final Houthi aircraft in Sana’a

update desk

An Israeli fighter jet takes off in an undated photo. Source: @IAFsite/X

The Israeli Air Force struck Sana’a International Airport on Wednesday, destroying the last operational aircraft used by the Houthi terrorist organization, according to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.

“This is a clear message and a direct continuation of the policy we established: Whoever fires at the State of Israel will pay a heavy price,” Katz stated following the strike. 

The attack follows an Israeli operation on May 6 that eliminated other aircraft at the same site.

Katz emphasized that Israeli forces will continue to target strategic Houthi assets. “The ports in Yemen will continue to be struck heavily, and the airport in Sana’a will be destroyed again and again,” he said. “The Houthi terror organization will be under naval and aerial blockade, as we committed and warned. Whoever harms us will be harmed sevenfold.”

The Israeli military confirmed details of the operation, stating: “The IDF recently attacked the central airport in Sana’a and an aircraft belonging to the Houthi terrorist organization. The aircraft that were attacked were used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transport terrorists who were promoting terrorist acts against the State of Israel.”

The IDF added that the airport, like the ports of Hodeidah and al-Salif attacked earlier this month, remains under active Houthi control and is used for terror-related operations. “This is another example of the brutal use that the Houthi terrorist organization makes of civilian infrastructure for terrorist acts.”

In its statement, the military underscored its commitment to preemptive action: “The IDF is determined to continue to act and strike with force anyone who poses a threat to the residents of the State of Israel, and at whatever distance is required.”

The Israeli government has reiterated its policy of deterrence following recent missile and drone launches from Yemen.

The IDF intercepted a ballistic missile early Tuesday morning that was launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen.

The attack triggered air-raid sirens in the Jordan Valley and several towns in Samaria, prompting residents to rush to bomb shelters in the pre-dawn hours.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Hours later, the military announced that the air force had recently downed another missile launched from Yemen. No sirens were activated by that attack, in line with existing policy, the IDF said.

The Houthis have escalated their attacks on Israel in recent weeks, including a direct hit near Ben-Gurion International Airport on May 4.