Jewish News Today: Britain's MI5 Warns of Iranian Threat Targeting Jews, Manchester Attack Inquiry Advances, and Jewish Leaders Rally in Dublin

MI5's director-general has revealed that more than 50 people have been arrested in Iran-linked operations in the past year, with the agency explicitly warning that Iranian "aggression" in the UK is targeting Jews. Separately, the British government confirmed that a public inquiry will examine the deaths of two Jewish men in last year's Manchester synagogue attack — and Jewish leaders are now calling on organisers to cancel a planned concert near the site. These stories, alongside a major gathering of Jewish leaders in Dublin and a fresh wave of bomb threats against Jewish schools in the United States, define today's Jewish news.

MI5: Iran Targeting Jews in the UK

MI5's director-general Sir Ken McCallum has stated publicly that Iranian "aggression" in the United Kingdom is specifically targeting Jews, according to the Jewish Chronicle. McCallum revealed that more than 50 people have been arrested in connection with Iran-linked operations over the past year. The disclosure is a significant escalation in what security officials are willing to say openly about the threat Iran poses to the British Jewish community, and will intensify calls from Jewish organisations for stronger protective measures.

Manchester Synagogue Attack: Inquiry and Concert Row

Following the British Home Secretary's announcement — reported yesterday — that a public inquiry will examine the deaths of two Jewish men in last year's Manchester synagogue attack, a new dimension has emerged today. The Jewish Chronicle reports that Jewish leaders are calling on organisers to cancel a planned concert by Irish rock group Fontaines DC at Heaton Park, less than a mile from the synagogue. The band's performances have reportedly featured "Free Palestine" declarations and claims of "genocide." Jewish leaders argue it is inappropriate for the group to perform so close to the site of the attack, and on Shabbat.

Jewish Leaders Rally in Dublin Against Antisemitism

Representatives of seven of the world's largest Jewish communities convened in Dublin to call for stronger security and concrete action against rising antisemitism in Ireland, according to JNS. The gathering signals that Ireland's Jewish community — and its international partners — regard the situation there as serious enough to warrant a coordinated, cross-communal response. JNS also reported that a US envoy warned separately that rising antisemitism represents a broader crisis in Western society, not merely an isolated or community-specific problem.

UK Green Party and Antisemitism Row

The Jewish Chronicle published new reporting today revealing that a Green Party branch praised a comment describing Keir Starmer's "Israeli family" as holding "great power over him" — a claim the Chronicle characterises as an antisemitic conspiracy theory. The Worthing Green Party branch is reported to have described the comment as "incisive." Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called on the Labour Party to rule out any electoral pact with the Greens, and the Jewish Chronicle reported that a former Labour minister echoed that position. Farage, writing in the Jewish Chronicle, described the Green Party as having "embraced antisemitic dogma" and said that "sectarian politics and the importation of fundamentalism have no place in our democracy." These reports follow earlier coverage of Green Party leader Zack Polanski's statements on Gaza.

Germany: Antisemitism Row Halts Coalition Talks in Berlin

In Germany, coalition talks in Berlin between the SPD, the Greens, and the Left Party have been suspended over an antisemitism dispute, according to the Jüdische Allgemeine. The SPD and Greens say they require a declaration — signed by all members of the Left Party's parliamentary group — before negotiations can resume. The standoff reflects the ongoing difficulty of building governing coalitions in Germany when antisemitism within potential partner parties becomes a sticking point. Separately, the Jüdische Allgemeine reports that Germany's Central Council of Jews and the Greens have both welcomed the planned appointment of Katharina von Schnurbein as Germany's new federal antisemitism commissioner, with the formal appointment expected to be confirmed this Wednesday.

New York Man Charged Over Threats to Kill Jews

A New York man identified by JNS as Dylan Daniell has been charged with threatening FBI agents who investigated him after he allegedly said that all Jews should be "put in a gas chamber." According to JNS, Daniell is also accused of calling a Jewish charity in Lakewood, New Jersey, and stating that he "would like to kill Benjamin Netanyahu and all the Jews." The charges represent one of the more explicit cases of violent antisemitic threatening language to be prosecuted in recent weeks in the United States.

Jewish Day Schools Evacuated After Bomb Threats in Florida and California

Jewish day schools in both Florida and California were evacuated after receiving bomb threats, JNS reported. Representative Jared Moskowitz responded to the incidents, stating: "There is no cause in the world that's served by scaring children. If your grievance leads you to a K-12 school, you're the problem." No injuries were reported, but the incidents add to a pattern of intimidation directed at Jewish educational institutions across the United States.

Toronto Arrest After Israeli Flags Burned Outside Church

A man in Toronto has been arrested for allegedly burning Israeli flags outside a church on the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, according to JNS. Josh Landau of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs told JNS: "The swift arrest is an important reminder that hate-motivated acts must have consequences."

Anti-Zionists Bar Jewish Teachers from Italian Study Trip

JNS reported that anti-Zionist activists barred a delegation of Jewish preschool teachers from participating in an Italian educational study trip. According to JNS, the trip is rooted in an educational tradition with origins in the period of fascism. The exclusion of Jewish educators on political grounds has drawn criticism as an act of discrimination that conflates Jewish identity with political positions on Israel.

UN Under Scrutiny Over Antisemitism and Gaza Findings

Two separate UN-related stories are drawing attention today. JNS reports that Jewish staff members at the United Nations say there has been little or no progress in tackling antisemitism within the institution, with one Jewish UN employee quoted as saying: "Besides the Palestinians, the problem is the Europeans and the leftists, promoted by NGOs. They are the most dangerous." Separately, JNS reports that a member of a UN panel admitted to an audience at an Australian synagogue that he and his colleagues accused Israel of "genocide" without independently verifying the facts. Chris Sidoti was quoted as saying: "We are not a court. We are not even prosecutors. We are an investigative body." In a third development at the UN, Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said the Hague court should weigh prosecuting Israeli media figures in connection with what she described as incitement, according to JNS.

United Synagogue Chief Executive to Leave

Jo Grose, the chief executive of the United Synagogue — the largest Orthodox synagogue body in the UK — is to leave her post after four years, the Jewish Chronicle reports. She will move to jointly lead the Wohl Legacy. The United Synagogue is a central institution in British Jewish communal life, and the leadership change will be watched closely by communities across the country.

Weitzman Museum Seeks Smithsonian Affiliation

Philadelphia's Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is reported by the Forward to be moving closer to becoming part of the Smithsonian Institution. The Forward notes that the approach comes at a moment of significant upheaval within the Smithsonian. For the American Jewish diaspora, the prospect of the country's foremost Jewish history museum gaining a formal place within one of the world's most prominent cultural institutions carries considerable symbolic weight.

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies Reopens Admissions

The American Jewish University has reopened admissions at its Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies for the fall 2027 intake, JNS reports. The decision follows a yearlong review aimed at adapting rabbinic education to what the institution describes as the changing needs of Jewish communities. The Ziegler School is one of the main seminaries of Conservative Judaism in North America.

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