Kook was born in Latvia and was one of the fathers of Religious Zionism. As a rabbi in London, he rallied popular support for the Balfour Declaration. After he immigrated to Palestine in 1919, Kook was appointed rabbi of the Ashkenazi communities in Jerusalem and in 1921 was elected the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Palestine. He opposed “Hatikvah” as the Zionist anthem for being too secular but built bridges to secular Zionists.
Articles and books on the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and on antisemitism on U.S. campuses, with suggested sources to read on the history and politics of Zionism and modern Israel.
Visiting Israel, U.S. Vice President JD Vance expresses optimism about the rocky Hamas-Israel ceasefire and broader hopes for Middle East peace while refusing to set deadlines for Hamas to disarm or return all hostage bodies.
Hamas’ genocide against Israelis unleashed the long-blistering hatred that Hamas possesses for Israel and Jews. Entries include severe Arab criticism of Hamas, its detriment to Palestinian nationalism, statements by its leaders, and the war’s unfolding.
October 13, 2025 The final 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinians in Gaza were released October 13, 2025, under the peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump and accepted by Israel…
October 9, 2025 Source: “Implementation Steps for President Trump’s Proposal for a ‘Comprehensive End of Gaza War,’” first obtained by Israel’s Kan News, then obtained and confirmed by multiple media outlets, including The Times of…
The U.S., Turkey, Qatar and Egypt commit to trying to implement President Trump’s vision for enduring peace in Gaza and the entire Middle East without offering details or obtaining the sign-on of Israeli or Palestinian officials.
In a Knesset speech, Prime Minister Netanyahu delivers effusive praise for President Trump’s Middle East peacemaking even though the U.S. plan appears to have put the support of key Muslim powers in the region ahead of sign-on from Israeli or Palestinian officials.
October 9, 2025 Edited October 12, 2025, to add a comment from Pope Leo XIV. After negotiators meeting in Egypt reached agreement October 8, 2025, on the first phase of the 20-point U.S. plan to…
President Trump issued a presidential order placing Qatar under the military protection of the United States. He did not submit his policy for U.S. Senate ratification, as would be necessary for the staying power of a treaty. The U.S. had never offered such protection to an Arab country, let alone one that sits across the Persian Gulf from Iran. The action was viewed as a direct response to Israel’s intrusion into Qatar’s sovereignty three weeks earlier in a failed attack on Hamas leaders in Doha. But the order might have been a step toward including Qatar in the Abraham Accords. And Qatar is potentially a key funder in rebuilding the Gaza Strip.
