Sep 30, 2026

Jewish News Today: Flydubai Hijacking Scare, Mamdani Antisemitism Plan Draws Fire, and CST Reports Extreme Campus Violence

A Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight was diverted after a co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain mid-air, Israeli jets scrambled in response; New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled the city's first comprehensive antisemitism strategy, only to face sharp criticism from Jewish groups for what it omitted; and the Community Security Trust reported incidents of "extreme violence" against Jews on UK university campuses for the first time. These three stories dominated a sombre day in the Jewish world.

Flydubai Hijacking Scare: Co-Pilot Allegedly Stabs Captain on Tel Aviv-Bound Flight

Israel is treating an incident aboard a Flydubai aircraft as a terror attack after the plane, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, diverted to Saudi Arabia following a hijacking scare, according to JNS and the Jewish Chronicle. JNS reports that the co-pilot allegedly sought to seize control of the aircraft and was subdued by crew members and passengers. The Jewish Chronicle adds that reports suggest there may have been an altercation between pilots in the cockpit, and that Israel scrambled fighter jets in response. The Jüdische Allgemeine reports that the aircraft sent a distress signal while over Saudi Arabia, changed course, and rapidly lost altitude. The Jewish Chronicle confirms the plane has since landed safely. The Israeli military's decision to scramble jets underscores the seriousness with which authorities treated the incident from the outset.

Mamdani Antisemitism Plan: Funding Welcomed, Definition Absent

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday unveiled what the Forward describes as New York City's first comprehensive strategy to combat antisemitism, promising millions of dollars for security, hate-crime prevention, and Jewish education. The 35-page document, reported by the Jüdische Allgemeine, includes additional funding for the protection of Jewish institutions and for Holocaust education.

However, the plan drew immediate and sharp criticism from Jewish organisations. JTA reports that the document was released without defining the term "antisemitism" — a significant omission in the eyes of many communal leaders. JNS quotes Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch as saying that ignoring the connection between anti-Zionism and Jew-hatred "is a big evasion, very disappointing," adding: "I think that the mayor knows better." Multiple Jewish groups, as reported by JTA, said the plan "fails to address" anti-Israel rhetoric, while simultaneously applauding the security and Holocaust education funding.

JTA separately notes the question of where Mamdani is spending Sukkot, reflecting the close scrutiny the mayor faces from New York's Jewish community.

UK Campus Antisemitism: CST Records Extreme Violence for First Time

The Community Security Trust has reported incidents of "extreme violence" against Jews at universities for the first time, according to the Jewish Chronicle. The findings show a 14 per cent jump in cases of campus antisemitism in the last academic year. Education Secretary Lucy Powell described the figures as "deeply troubling." The development is significant for British Jewish students and their families, representing an escalation in the severity — not merely the frequency — of recorded incidents on campus.

Blood-Dripping Star of David Outside Labour Conference

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has condemned the display of a blood-dripping Star of David outside the Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool, according to the Jewish Chronicle. The incident occurred in the same week that British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, speaking at the conference, called Palestinian suffering in Gaza and the West Bank a "stain on the conscience of the world," as reported by the Forward and JTA. Miliband also invoked his own family's Holocaust history, citing the concept of "survivor's responsibility," according to JTA. His comments that the threats Israel faces do not justify Palestinian suffering prompted strong reactions across the Jewish diaspora.

Gaza Migrant Who Called for Jews to Be Killed Traced to Corby

The Jewish Chronicle reports that a Gaza migrant who called for Jews to be killed has been traced to a house in multiple occupation in Corby, England. The individual, identified as Abu Wadee, now says he does not back Hamas. Local MP Lee Barron said he was "appalled" to learn of Abu Wadee's presence in the town and called for his deportation. The case is likely to intensify ongoing debate in the UK about the adequacy of screening processes for those entering the country.

Canada: Antisemitism Sentence Sparks Calls for Dedicated Hate-Crime Units

A house arrest sentence handed down to Brandon Taylor Moore of Saskatoon for antisemitic social media posts has prompted calls in Canada for dedicated hate-crime prosecution units, JNS reports. Richard Robertson of B'nai Brith Canada said Moore has "shown no remorse for the hate he has incited and the harm he has caused to Jewish Canadians." The case adds pressure to the Canadian justice system at a moment when the question of whether Canadian Jews should seek refugee status in the United States — following remarks attributed to President Trump — is generating serious debate within the community.

JTA and the Forward both report on that refugee status question in depth. Some Canadian Jews say they would prefer to stay and fight for their community; others, like Sari Watson cited by the Forward, describe being too afraid to attend Yom Kippur services, having stayed home when a gunman approached her congregation. Notably, JTA reports that some Jews who would prefer to remain in Canada argue that the United States is not necessarily safer.

Durban Anniversary: Record Boycott at the UN

Building on the record boycott reported yesterday, the Jewish Chronicle notes that Jewish communities and states alike have continued to press the United Nations on antisemitism. Separately, JNS reports that Jewish communities in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States have written to the UN calling the pending selection of a new Secretary-General a "defining moment," demanding the next leader take meaningful action to combat Jew-hatred within the organisation.

US Bipartisan Report on Campus Antisemitism

A bipartisan report from the US Commission on Civil Rights has called for targeted responses to antisemitism while protecting free speech and academic freedom, JNS reports. The Commission's chair, Rochelle Garza, stated: "Our response must also preserve the constitutional freedoms that are fundamental to our educational institutions and our democracy." California Governor Gavin Newsom separately vetoed a bill that would have given students input into campus rules introduced following the 2024 anti-Israel protests, according to JNS. David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California, told JNS that time, place and manner restrictions "have made universities safer for all students, including Jewish students."

Scottish Parliament Honours Christian Who Died at Auschwitz

The Scottish Parliament has honoured Jane Haining, a Christian matron who was arrested by the Nazis in Budapest in 1944 and sent to Auschwitz after refusing to abandon the Jewish schoolgirls in her care, the Jewish Chronicle reports. Haining had the option to return to Britain but chose to stay with her pupils. She died at the camp. The tribute is a reminder, during a week shadowed by contemporary antisemitism, of the courage shown by those who stood with Jewish communities at history's darkest hour.

Israeli Actor Guy Kapulnik Killed in California Plane Crash

Israeli actor, pilot, and flight instructor Guy Kapulnik, 46, died in a plane crash in California, the Jüdische Allgemeine reports. Kapulnik had been living in Los Angeles. No further details about the circumstances of the crash are available from the sources provided.