… it’s not that Trump had a stick with which to beat Israel that Biden didn’t have; it’s that his presidency holds out the prospect of carrots that Biden would never offer. It was less the president-elect’s pressure than his potential promise that brought the Israeli far right onside.

Thanks largely to Trump, a deal demanded by the Israeli left and reviled by the right is about to come into effect. A year’s worth of diplomacy by the Biden administration is finally about to bear fruit on account of its political nemesis.

The truth may lie somewhere in the middle. According to a senior Biden administration official, Trump and Biden’s teams forged an unlikely partnership to secure the complex ceasefire during a transition marked by animosity and distrust.

The IDF concurs that fighting against Hamas will resume in the foreseeable future. Hamas will not be disarmed, remaining a persistent threat that must be addressed. Even if combat initially remains aerial after Phase II of the hostage deal, a military foothold will persist.

…by starting his second term with a deal that is a gift to Hamas and Iran, he will be setting himself up for new problems because of an unforced error that Americans and Israelis may have to pay for in blood.

For Hamas to try and claim victory after losing a war on this scale and at this terrible cost is intellectual and political dishonesty on the level of Saddam Hussein’s former information minister trying to claim victory for the Iraqi regime as American troops advanced into Baghdad in Iraq.

[Ben Gvir] implied that he would pull out of the government and coalition if the deal is approved. If that happens, Netanyahu’s coalition would lose two of its Knesset seats to the opposition but still retain a majority of 62 out of 120 seats.

A source familiar with the discussions revealed that Smotrich is deeply conflicted, fearing the deal could tarnish his reputation, much like the political fallout experienced by Shas party leader Aryeh Deri, after his support for the 1993 Oslo Accords…

In an address to the nation Wednesday evening, President Isaac Herzog urged members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet to approve the ceasefire and hostage release deal announced earlier between Israel and Hamas…

Antisemitic tropes and beliefs are becoming alarmingly normalized across societies worldwide. This dangerous trend is not just a threat to Jewish communities—it’s a warning to us all. Even in countries with the lowest levels of antisemitic attitudes globally, we’ve seen many antisemitic incidents perpetrated by an emboldened small, vocal and violent minority.

In trumpeting so broadly and widely the hatred of Jews, how do we know that it doesn’t encourage more and more people to follow along and jump on the hatewagon? Are we reminding people that there are things about Jews worth hating– rather than worth loving?

The world’s oldest hatred is not disappearing but instead is growing. This revelation is not just unsettling; it is a call to action for societies worldwide to confront and combat these prejudices head-on.

The impact of this natural disaster will be significant not only on the L.A. story but more directly on the L.A. Jewish community, as in some measure this experience has a distinctive Jewish component to it, as many of the affected areas are densely settled by Jews.

We teach our children the importance of tzedakah (charity), tikkun olam (repairing the world), chesed (loving-kindness), and being a community that rises to meet challenges.

Organizations like The Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Free Loan Association are already mobilizing to provide financial assistance and services to affected families.

In prioritizing the safety of the preschoolers and community members, the Chabad of Topanga rabbis were adhering to Jewish law, which gives precedence to saving human life over nearly anything. The saving of Torah scrolls is a close second, however, and the Jewish communities that have been evacuated as a result of the Los Angeles fires have made it a point to bring their Torahs to safety, something that has a long tradition in times of calamity and disaster.

This Friday night, I was in the mood for something a little different than my usual chicken soup. At first, I thought about the chicken soup with rice and veggies that my mom would sometimes make. But in my online search for recipes, I kept seeing a Greek soup called “avgolemono,” a lemony chicken soup.

Jewish online food stars’ commitment to honesty, though, has been put to the test ever since the horrific Oct. 7 attacks, and the worldwide antisemitism that has risen in their wake, turned virtually all social media users into political pundits and experts, suddenly putting the very basic tenets of Judaism, and Jews’ right to exist, under the microscope. Even social media accounts unrelated to religion quickly became fierce battlegrounds.

As always, The Nosher team has done the legwork so you don’t have to. We’re excited (and in one case, slightly concerned — see trend 4) to share our top five Jewish food trends to watch in 2025. To help you stay ahead of the curve, we’re throwing in a few outstanding recipes so you can get a jumpstart.