Sep 26, 2026

Jewish News Today: Golders Green Stabbing Suspect Pleads Not Guilty, Israeli Chess Team Forfeits Yom Kippur Matches, and Mamdani-Netanyahu Row Deepens

A man accused of stabbing two Jewish men in north London has entered a not-guilty plea to attempted murder charges, while the Israeli chess team has been forced to forfeit matches at the Chess Olympiad after two European nations refused to reschedule games that fell on Yom Kippur. Meanwhile, the public dispute between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated further, drawing in prominent Jewish Democrats.

Golders Green Stabbing: Essa Suleiman Pleads Not Guilty

Essa Suleiman, the London man accused of stabbing three men — two of them Orthodox Jews — during a knife attack in Golders Green in April, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges, according to both JNS and the Jewish Chronicle. JNS reports that Suleiman was initially investigated for terrorism, but that prosecutors determined there was no evidence of a terrorist connection. The Jewish Chronicle notes that the victims included two Orthodox Jewish men and one Muslim man. The case is of direct concern to the British Jewish community, centred as it is on one of London's most recognisable Jewish neighbourhoods.

Israeli Chess Team Forced to Forfeit Over Yom Kippur Scheduling

The Israeli chess team was compelled to forfeit matches at the Chess Olympiad after the Netherlands and Bulgaria refused to reschedule games that fell on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Chronicle reports. According to the Jewish Chronicle, the International Chess Federation had written to the Israeli team in January agreeing to change the match times, but this agreement was not honoured at the event itself. The forfeitures represent a concrete institutional cost imposed on Israeli athletes for observing the holiest day in the Jewish calendar — a development that will resonate with Jewish communities across the diaspora who regularly navigate similar conflicts between religious observance and public or professional life.

Mamdani-Netanyahu Dispute: Jewish Democrats Weigh In

The confrontation between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Prime Minister Netanyahu — sparked by Netanyahu's description of Mamdani as an antisemite and a Hamas supporter during his UN General Assembly speech — has continued to generate significant reaction within the Jewish diaspora. Mamdani has now directly hit back at Netanyahu, accusing him of spreading "baseless lies," according to JTA. New York Jewish Democrats have also rallied to Mamdani's defence: Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, cited by JTA, called Netanyahu's remarks a "ploy" by someone "fighting for his political life." The Forward reports that Mamdani has remained focused on Israel as a central issue during his mayoralty, and that he condemned Netanyahu ahead of the UN speech. The dispute places Jewish Democrats in New York in a notably uncomfortable position — publicly defending a mayor whom the Israeli prime minister has accused of antisemitism.

Canada Synagogue Shooting: Police Chief Calls It a Deliberate Attack on Jews

Following yesterday's reporting that the shooting outside a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, was labelled a hate-motivated attack, the Belleville police chief has now spoken in stronger terms. Murray Rodd said the attack was a "deliberate attack" against Jews, according to JNS, adding: "The loss of life and irreversible damage that could have been rippled through our community for generations cannot be overstated." The statement elevates the gravity of what authorities are describing, and underscores ongoing concerns about the physical safety of Jewish communities in North America.

California Strengthens Security for Houses of Worship

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed bills expanding security protections for houses of worship and nonprofits, JNS reports. Newsom stated: "Every Californian should be able to walk into a synagogue, church, mosque or other house of worship without fear." While the legislation covers all faiths, it comes in a context of heightened concern about antisemitic and religiously motivated attacks, and will be welcomed by Jewish institutions in a state home to one of the largest Jewish populations outside Israel.

UCLA Signs Academic Agreements with Hebrew University

Against a backdrop of efforts to isolate Israeli academia on American campuses, UCLA has signed biomedical and exchange agreements with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, JNS reports. Eveline Shekhman of the American Jewish Medical Association told JNS: "At a time when some would isolate Israeli academia, UCLA has chosen collaboration." The agreements are seen by supporters as a meaningful counter to boycott campaigns targeting Israeli universities.

Holborn and St Pancras By-Election: Labour Candidate Sidesteps Zionism Question

In the UK, the Labour candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on 8 October, Sagal Abdi-Wali, declined to say whether she considers herself a Zionist when questioned at a Board of Deputies hustings, the Jewish Chronicle reports. She did, however, state support for a two-state solution. The by-election is being watched closely by British Jewish community organisations following the constituency's high-profile nature — it was previously held by Keir Starmer — and in the context of ongoing concern about Labour's relationship with the Jewish community.

Gaza Governance Warning at American Jewish Committee Event

Diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, speaking at an American Jewish Committee event during UN week, warned that any Gaza governance group established now would be "eaten alive," JNS reports. Mladenov said the greatest risk in Gaza is that "what we have now becomes the permanent situation." The remarks reflect the deep uncertainty surrounding post-conflict planning in Gaza, a question with significant implications for the broader Middle East and for diaspora Jewish communities watching the trajectory of the war.

Gantz Warns of Eroding American Jewish Support for Israel

Writing in JTA, Benny Gantz, chairman of the Blue White Party, argued that Israel must protect its relationship with American Jewry and called for "a broad, moderate Zionist government." Gantz stated that the erosion of American Jewish support for Israel must be taken seriously, and that the two communities share a future that the current Israeli government is putting at risk. His intervention — timed to UN week — is addressed as much to the diaspora as to the Israeli domestic audience.