Jewish News Today: Board of Deputies Brands Greens Racist, Berlin Antisemitic Attack, and Israel's Election Eve

With Israel's Knesset election less than 24 hours away, the Jewish diaspora is watching closely as a series of significant developments unfolded on Monday: Britain's Board of Deputies voted overwhelmingly to declare the Green Party a racist organisation, a Jewish man was beaten in a suspected antisemitic attack in Berlin, and prominent voices clashed over the influence of far-right ministers on Israel's international standing.

UK: Board of Deputies Declares Green Party 'Racist'

The Board of Deputies of British Jews voted 118 to 1 at its Sunday monthly plenary to condemn the UK Green Party and declare it a racist party, according to both the Jewish Chronicle and JNS. The vote followed the Greens' adoption of a policy declaring Zionism a form of racism. The Board called on other political parties to shun alliances with the Greens in the wake of that decision.

The Jewish Chronicle also reported that the BBC has been accused of giving a Green activist "free rein" to "launch a disgusting attack" on a Jewish guest. The activist, Dr Ashok Kumar, later stated that "Zionism will join apartheid and Jim Crow in the ugly dustbin of history." The BBC has not yet publicly responded to the criticism, according to available sources.

Antisemitism News: Jewish Man Beaten in Berlin

A Jewish man was beaten in Berlin's Schöneberg district in a suspected antisemitic attack on Saturday evening, according to both JNS and the Jüdische Allgemeine. The assailant allegedly asked the victim whether he was Jewish before punching him and knocking him to the ground. The 60-year-old victim suffered facial haematomas and a laceration, the Jüdische Allgemeine reported. Police are treating the incident as a suspected antisemitically motivated attack.

The assault is the latest in a pattern of street-level antisemitic violence in Germany that Jewish community leaders have repeatedly warned about in recent months.

Germany: Jewish Community Under Pressure from Political Changes

Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (Zentralrat der Juden), expressed concern about the prospects for Jewish life in Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin, according to the Jüdische Allgemeine. Schuster warned that under a government led by the AfD, Jewish life in Saxony-Anhalt would be endangered. He also voiced scepticism about the sincerity of Berlin's Left Party (Die Linke) in combating antisemitism, saying he did not believe the party's stated break with antisemitism, and that he had expected its parliamentarians to act differently.

France: Macron Walks Back Statement on History of Attacks on French Jews

French President Emmanuel Macron has been forced to clarify a statement that appeared to deny the history of religiously motivated attacks on French Jews and Christians, according to JNS. Jewish leaders and political rivals had criticised Macron after he reportedly described the Trappes shooting as France's first terrorist attack targeting citizens over their religion — a characterisation widely seen as erasing a long history of antisemitic violence in France. Macron subsequently issued a clarification, though the controversy has drawn renewed attention to how French political leaders frame attacks on Jewish citizens.

Israel's Election Eve: Trump Endorses Netanyahu, Rift Reports Denied

With voting set for Tuesday 27 October, the final hours before Israel's Knesset election have been dominated by several major developments. US President Donald Trump renewed his endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the eve of the vote, urging Israeli voters to back the prime minister to "finish the job that we started," according to JNS. The Jüdische Allgemeine reported that Trump posted the endorsement on his Truth Social platform two days before the election.

Separately, reports emerged — first covered by the Jüdische Allgemeine — of an alleged conflict between Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, with claims that Zamir had refused to carry out orders from the prime minister over a proposed military action that could have triggered a wider confrontation with Iran. Israel's Defence Minister Katz dismissed the reports as "baseless and false," according to JNS, and a separate JNS headline confirmed the defence ministry's denial. The Jüdische Allgemeine noted the reports had caused significant controversy just days before the vote.

The Jüdische Allgemeine also reported that approximately 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote on Tuesday, according to the Central Elections Committee. MK Sharren Haskel called for a unity government ahead of the elections, according to JNS, while Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners remained vocal: Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party told JNS that Israel needs a strong right-wing bloc.

Bill Ackman: Far-Right Ministers Have Caused 'Enormous Reputational Damage'

Prominent investor and pro-Israel advocate Bill Ackman said that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have done "enormous reputational damage" to Israel, and called for both far-right leaders to be excluded from the next coalition government, according to the Jewish Chronicle. The remarks, made ahead of the Knesset election, reflect growing concern among diaspora supporters of Israel about the international costs of the current government's composition. The Forward separately reported that Israel's deteriorating global image has not become a major campaign issue, despite Israeli tourists reportedly facing harassment and physical attacks abroad after being identified as Israeli.

Peru Adopts IHRA Antisemitism Definition

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar welcomed Peru's adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, according to JNS. Peru's move is part of a gradual international expansion of IHRA adoption that Jewish community organisations have long advocated for as a tool for governments to identify and combat antisemitism.

Ireland: AIG Executive Exits Amid Antisemitic Posts Probe

An executive at AIG Ireland has left the firm amid an investigation into antisemitic posts, according to JNS. No further details about the nature of the posts or the identity of the individual were provided in the available sources.

Brazil: Lula Re-Elected, Raising Concerns Over Israel Ties

Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva has been re-elected as president of Brazil, defeating centre-right senator Flavio Bolsonaro in a result that required a second round of voting, according to the Jewish Chronicle, the Forward, and JNS. The Jewish Chronicle described Lula as "anti-Israel," while the Forward reported that his return puts "the brakes on Latin America's pro-Israel shift." JNS noted that the result is likely to keep Brazil-Israel ties "in a deep freeze" and may complicate relations with the United States.

Obituary: Nobel Laureate Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, 93

French Jewish physicist and Nobel Prize winner Claude Cohen-Tannoudji has died aged 93, according to the Jewish Chronicle. French government minister Philippe Baptiste said that Cohen-Tannoudji's "legacy will continue to inspire generations of researchers." Cohen-Tannoudji was a towering figure in quantum physics and one of the most distinguished Jewish scientists of the twentieth century.

Trump Tells Jewish Americans to Be 'Ashamed' for Supporting El-Sayed

President Donald Trump, at a rally in Port Huron, told Jewish voters who support Abdul El-Sayed — Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee — that they should be "ashamed," according to both JTA and the Forward. The remarks came in the context of anti-Muslim language directed at El-Sayed. JTA reported that El-Sayed had been making a push to reach undecided Jewish voters in the closing weeks before Michigan's midterm election. The comments drew immediate attention from Jewish community organisations monitoring political rhetoric directed at Jewish Americans.

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