Maccabee Task Force

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hosted Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiyev in Jerusalem. The deputy PM is leading a high-level delegation of more than 50 senior government officials and representatives of state-owned companies. Madiyev is the most senior Kazakh official to visit Israel in a decade. The visit includes a meeting of the Israel–Kazakhstan Joint Economic Committee, alongside discussions with Israeli leaders and institutions working in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, space, innovation and technology. Following President Isaac Herzog’s and Foreign Minister Sa’ar’s visits to Kazakhstan earlier this year, this high-level delegation reflects growing momentum in the relationship between the two countries. From diplomacy to innovation and economic development, Israel and Kazakhstan are furthering functional partnerships in areas of opportunity for both nations.

A disturbing antisemitic image involving a student at Merrick Avenue Middle School on Long Island is now under police investigation. The photo, recently posted to social media, shows a large swastika drawn across the student’s back alongside an explicit anti-Jewish message. According to NBC New York, the student said the markings were drawn by friends while he was asleep over the summer. After the image surfaced online, school officials took disciplinary action and notified Nassau County Police. Detectives have since visited both the school and the student’s home, and the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District says it is cooperating with the investigation. Whatever the circumstances in which the image was created, swastikas and messages expressing hatred toward Jews cannot be dismissed as harmless behavior or a joke. Young people need to understand what these symbols and words represent, and schools and communities have a responsibility to confront antisemitism when it appears.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has reached a settlement with the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education resolving 18 active civil rights investigations and a separate Justice Department compliance review, including scrutiny of antisemitism on campus. Under the agreement, UNC must provide mandatory antisemitism training to all students, faculty, and staff; strengthen procedures for responding to antisemitism complaints; ensure Jewish and Israeli students are protected under its nondiscrimination policies; and sanction student groups that engage in antisemitic discriminatory conduct. The university must also report antisemitism and race-discrimination complaints to federal officials on a quarterly basis and maintain oversight of its compliance through December 31, 2028. The agreement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing or liability, which UNC expressly denies. But it does establish concrete obligations for how the university must prevent and respond to unlawful discrimination. Jewish students deserve to learn in an environment where their safety, dignity, and equal treatment are protected. Universities have a responsibility to take antisemitism seriously and to act when Jewish students’ civil rights are threatened.

The two pilots who helped bring FlyDubai flight FZ1073 safely to the ground after the attempted mid-air terror attack have finally been identified. Henson Steven of Fiji and Rowan Tooth of South Africa were travelling as off-duty pilots when the cockpit attack unfolded on September 30. After Captain Smit Machchhar was brutally attacked and brave Israeli passengers intervened to overpower the assailant, Steven and Tooth took control of the damaged aircraft and successfully landed it in Saudi Arabia. Both men have now been honored by the UAE with the prestigious First Class Order of Zayed II for their extraordinary courage and professionalism. This was a remarkable chain of bravery involving people from different countries including an Indian captain who fought to protect his passengers, Israeli passengers who risked their lives to stop the attacker, and two pilots who safely landed the aircraft.

The President of the Republic of Somaliland Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Cirro has formally received the credentials of Michael Lotem, Israel’s first-ever ambassador to Somaliland, at a ceremony in Hargeisa. The appointment follows Israel’s historic recognition of Somaliland as an independent state in December 2025, marking another milestone in the development of diplomatic relations between the two countries. From formal recognition to diplomatic representation, the beginning of a deeper partnership between Israel and the Republic of Somaliland is taking shape.

At Harvard, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer pressed Professor Patrick Vinck on a basic question about UNRWA: Who, exactly, has been held accountable? Vinck argued that while individual UNRWA employees had been problematic, the institution itself was a different matter, saying that an investigation had “cleared UNRWA.” When Neuer asked which investigation and who had been cleared, Vinck acknowledged that he did not want to “engage in litigation of all the numbers and facts.” Those numbers deserve attention. In June, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Inspector General referred 101 current and former UNRWA employees for suspension or debarment consideration over alleged participation in the October 7 attacks and/or affiliation with Hamas’s military wing. Those referred included school principals, teachers, counselors, security personnel, and other UNRWA employees. There are also longstanding questions surrounding senior figures in UNRWA’s education system. Suhail al-Hindi, a former UNRWA school principal and Gaza staff-union leader, was eventually removed after his election to Hamas’s political leadership became public. Fathi Sharif, who headed UNRWA’s teachers’ union in Lebanon, was suspended in 2024 over alleged conduct violations; after his death, Hamas identified him as its commander in Lebanon. UN Watch argues that these cases reflect a much deeper institutional failure and has repeatedly questioned what UNRWA leadership knew and when. Whatever one thinks of UNRWA’s broader humanitarian role, these allegations cannot simply be waved away. An organization entrusted with educating children and administering billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance must be subject to serious scrutiny. When employees are credibly accused of participation in terrorism or affiliation with terrorist organizations, there must be transparency, investigation, and accountability.

Footage of Sir Patrick Stewart speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv in 2012 is circulating after his passing, reminding us of the special connection he developed with Israel during his first visit. The Star Trek and X-Men legend shared that after finally deciding to visit Israel, he found himself not wanting to leave. He even wrote at the time about how much he would miss the country. More than a decade later, those words carry a special meaning. Israel will remember his visit and the warmth he expressed toward the country. May his memory be a blessing. 🕯️

There’s no substitute for experiencing Israel firsthand. A Korean travel creator recently visited Israel and shared his journey, offering viewers a glimpse of the country beyond the headlines: its ancient history, vibrant culture, beautiful landscapes, and everyday life. With direct flights between South Korea and Israel expected to resume in March 2027, more opportunities will open for people to discover the country for themselves. Israel’s story is far richer and more complex than the narratives often portrayed from afar. Everyone, regardless of nationality, background, or faith, deserves the opportunity to experience it firsthand. 🎥: Israel In Korea

The University of California is asking a federal judge to dismiss a Justice Department lawsuit accusing UCLA of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff from antisemitic discrimination and harassment. The lawsuit, filed in February under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, alleges that UCLA allowed a hostile work environment to develop after October 7 and failed to adequately prevent or address antisemitic conduct targeting Jewish and Israeli employees. According to the Justice Department, employees reported threats, antisemitic chants, disruptions of classes and academic events, barriers to accessing parts of campus, and other forms of harassment and discrimination. In its motion to dismiss, filed this week, UC argues that the government’s case overlooks the steps UCLA has taken to support Jewish employees and address antisemitism on campus. The court has not yet ruled on the motion. Whatever the outcome of the litigation, Jewish faculty and staff deserve the same right as anyone else to work, teach, and participate in university life without antisemitic harassment or discrimination.

“Everything I was taught about Israel was a lie.” At the United Nations, Yemeni content creator Luai Ahmed shared how he grew up surrounded by racism and Jew-hatred in Yemen, before a journey of de-radicalization in Sweden transformed his perspective. After October 7, Ahmed visited Israel and witnessed life there firsthand. What he saw challenged the narratives he had grown up believing and changed how he understood Israelis and Jews. His story is a powerful reminder that hatred can be taught, but so can empathy, understanding, and the courage to question what we’ve been told. The truth begins when we dare to look beyond propaganda and see the reality for ourselves. 🎥: UN Watch