Jewish News Today: Iran-Backed Gang Jails Norwegian Teen Hitman in UK Plot, Green Party Antisemitism Row Deepens, and Colombia Quits Anti-Israel Hague Group

A Norwegian teenager recruited by an Iran-backed gang described as targeting Jews has been jailed in the UK for plotting a murder, the Jewish Chronicle reports — the latest in a series of cases linking Iranian-directed networks to threats against Jewish communities in Britain. Separately, the fallout from the Green Party's "Zionism is racism" motion continues to reshape British political alignments, while Colombia's withdrawal from the anti-Israel Hague Group, accompanied by the opening of a Jerusalem embassy, marks a significant diplomatic shift.

UK: Norwegian Teen Jailed After Iran-Linked Gang Recruited Him to Kill

A teenage footballer from Norway, named by the Jewish Chronicle as Johannes Kongsnes Natland, has been locked up after agreeing to shoot an unknown target in the UK for £21,500. The Jewish Chronicle reports that the gang that hired him is Iran-backed and described as one that "targets Jews." No further details about the intended victim were disclosed in the available reporting. The case adds to growing concern within British Jewish communities about the reach of Iranian-directed violence on UK soil.

UK: Green Party Antisemitism Row Continues to Reverberate

The political consequences of the Green Party's "Zionism is racism" motion are widening, according to the Jewish Chronicle. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has been condemned after backing the policy, which the Jewish Chronicle describes as "antisemitic," and commending the Greens for "doing something extremely human." The Jewish Chronicle reports that Albanese's endorsement has drawn sharp criticism. Meanwhile, a separate Jewish Chronicle analysis finds that the Greens' motion may be "reshaping electoral calculus in British politics": hours after Nigel Farage called for no pacts with Green co-leader Zack Polanski's party, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham promised action. The political fallout appears to be cutting across party lines in ways that observers say are unusual.

UK: Antisemitism in Schools — A Parent's Account

The Jewish Chronicle has published a first-person account from a parent who says they have removed their nine-year-old son from his school in England because of antisemitism attributed to a teacher. The piece, headlined "A teacher steeped in hate: not Vichy France but UK 2026," describes the experience as occurring in the present day. The account underscores persistent concerns about the safety of Jewish children in British state schools — concerns that diaspora organisations have raised repeatedly in recent years.

UK: Odeon Urged to Amend 'Naza' Film Advertisement

Odeon Cinemas is facing calls to amend its promotional language for a documentary called Naza, which the chain described in advertising as "an unflinching look at the systems behind Israel's calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians," according to the Jewish Chronicle. The Jewish Chronicle reports that the advertisement "gives no hint" that the allegations in the film were rejected by the IDF. The film is due to premiere at Odeon on Friday.

UK: JW3 Marks Its "Barmitzvah" with Nearly Two Million Visitors

London's JW3 Jewish cultural centre revealed at its barmitzvah gala this week that it has welcomed nearly two million visitors since opening, the Jewish Chronicle reports. The milestone was announced at a gala event celebrating the centre's thirteenth year, marking a moment of cultural continuity for British Jewish life amid a difficult period for the community.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury: Israel Is 'the Land That God Promised'

Justin Welby, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, said at an event for an organisation called "Repairing the Peace" — which the Jewish Chronicle describes as seeking to atone for British Mandate harm to Jews — that Israel is "the land that God promised." The Jewish Chronicle reports the statement as notable given Welby's senior ecclesiastical standing and the event's focus on Jewish-Christian reconciliation.

Colombia Quits Anti-Israel Hague Group as Jerusalem Embassy Opens

Colombia has withdrawn from the anti-Israel Hague Group, both JNS and the Jewish Chronicle report. The Jewish Chronicle adds that the withdrawal coincides with the opening of Colombia's Jerusalem embassy and the restoration of diplomatic and trade ties between Colombia and Israel. JNS notes that, like Honduras and Bolivia — which left the group in March — Colombia recently came under new leadership. The Hague Group is an international coalition critical of Israel; Colombia's departure is a further sign of its diplomatic realignment toward Jerusalem.

Washington State: Governor's Office Knew of Antisemitism a Year Before Resignation

JNS reports, based on public records it obtained, that the Washington state governor's office was aware that a human rights commission member had gone on an antisemitic rant at an official meeting a full year before he resigned — and that the resignation came only after JNS reported the incident. A Jewish civil rights specialist assigned to the commission complained shortly after the March 2025 incident, the records show. In a related development, an Israeli-born Holocaust educator named Dee Simon has now joined the Washington state human rights panel to fill the vacancy. "All the things that are both Jewish and immigrant, I think I experienced growing up," Simon told JNS.

US: Jewish Democrats Run Ads Targeting Young Republicans Over Hitler Praise

Jewish Democrats have launched an advertising campaign targeting young voters in battleground states and districts, blasting Young Republicans for praising Adolf Hitler, JTA reports. The campaign is aimed at the upcoming midterm cycle and represents an organised effort by Jewish political groups to make antisemitism within one party a live electoral issue. The ads have not been further detailed in the available sources.

US: Iran Using 'Asymmetric Warfare' to Spread Antisemitism, Report Says

A report cited by JNS finds that Iran is using "asymmetric warfare" to spread antisemitism in the United States with the aim of sowing societal division. Vlad Khaykin of the Simon Wiesenthal Center told JNS that the Iranian regime is exploiting "social divisions" as a tool of influence. The report comes alongside a separate warning — delivered by Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon at the UN Security Council — that Iran and Hezbollah are attempting to disrupt upcoming Israeli elections. "Anyone who attempts to pose a threat or attack Israel will face devastating consequences," Danon said.

US: Two Teens Arrested for Antisemitic Vandalism Near Hartford

Two teenagers have been arrested for antisemitic vandalism in the Hartford, Connecticut area, JNS reports. The chief of the local police department in Wethersfield said the hateful symbols "stand in direct opposition to the values of respect and inclusion that define Wethersfield." No further details about the nature of the vandalism were available in the sourced material.

Anti-Israel Hague Group and the Diplomatic Landscape

Colombia's exit from the Hague Group, reported by both JNS and the Jewish Chronicle, is part of a pattern. JNS notes that Honduras and Bolivia departed earlier this year following changes in leadership in those countries. For diaspora Jewish communities who have watched international institutions become arenas for anti-Israel activity, the trend represents a modest counterweight — though the broader picture at bodies such as the UN remains contested.

Croatian Football Fans Chant About Auschwitz

Croatian football supporters were heard chanting about Auschwitz and shouting "Rise up Adolf" before a local club match against Dutch side Ajax, JNS reports. Israel's embassy in Zagreb thanked the Croatian government for condemning the incident. Ajax has a strong historic association with Amsterdam's Jewish community and is frequently targeted by antisemitic chanting across European football.

Note Found at Center for Jewish History: 'Nuke Jews, Save Lives'

The president of the Center for Jewish History in New York has written in The Forward about discovering a notecard bearing the message "Nuke Jews, Save Lives" at the institution. The piece reflects on what the author describes as a subtler message beneath the overt threat — that hateful sentiment continues to find its way into cultural and scholarly Jewish spaces in America.

Journalistic Initiative: Reporters from 20 Countries Learn About Antisemitism

Journalists from nearly twenty countries gathered in the United States to learn about antisemitism, including, JNS reports, from encounters with one another. Pablo Quiroz Zepeda, a journalist from Mexico, told JNS: "For many of my colleagues, it was the first time to have an encounter with real Judaism, in every aspect." The programme represents an effort to build understanding of Jewish communities and Jew-hatred among international media professionals whose coverage shapes public perception worldwide.

Who Is Rebeca Grynspan, Jewish Frontrunner for UN Secretary-General?

The Jewish Chronicle has profiled Rebeca Grynspan, described as the Jewish frontrunner to become the next UN Secretary-General. Her parents fled Poland in 1936 to escape intensifying antisemitism, the Jewish Chronicle reports. Her potential candidacy would place a Jewish figure at the head of an institution that has frequently been a site of conflict over Israel and Jewish rights — a development that diaspora communities are watching closely.

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