Sep 21, 2026

Jewish News Today: ISIS-Inspired Synagogue Plot Foiled in Pennsylvania, German Jewish Leader Warns on Berlin Election

A 21-year-old man from the Pittsburgh area has been arrested by the FBI in connection with an ISIS-inspired plot that included plans to poison food in synagogues, in one of the most serious antisemitism-related terrorism cases to emerge in the United States in recent months. Separately, the president of Germany's Central Council of Jews has spoken out following Berlin's state election, warning against a government that includes the winning party, Die Linke.

ISIS-Inspired Synagogue Plot: Pittsburgh-Area Man Arrested

According to both the Forward and JTA, the FBI has revealed that a 21-year-old man from Valencia, Pennsylvania — in the greater Pittsburgh area — was arrested in connection with a planned mass attack carried out in support of the Islamic State group. The suspect allegedly suggested poisoning food in synagogues as part of the plot. He was arrested in possession of a rifle, ammunition and knives, according to JTA.

The details are stark in their targeting of Jewish communal life. Synagogues — the central gathering point of diaspora communities — were explicitly identified as attack sites in the alleged plan. The FBI has described the plot as "massive" in scope.

For Jewish communities in the United States, and beyond, the arrest is a reminder that the threat of religiously motivated violence against Jewish institutions remains acute. The Pittsburgh area carries particular resonance in the Jewish world: the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in 2018 remains the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history, and news of a further plot targeting synagogues in the same region will be felt deeply.

German Jewish Leader Warns Against Die Linke in Berlin Government

Following Berlin's state election, in which Die Linke emerged as the winning party, Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany (Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland), has publicly called for a governing coalition that excludes the party. According to Jüdische Allgemeine, which reported the story twice under related headlines, Schuster cited the party's election campaign as grounds for his position, demanding that government formation proceed without Die Linke despite its first-place finish.

The Jüdische Allgemeine reports that Schuster referenced the party's conduct during the campaign, though the summaries available do not quote him directly beyond indicating he described the campaign as disqualifying. The Central Council of Jews in Germany is the country's principal representative body for Jewish communal life and its interventions in political matters carry significant weight.

For Germany's Jewish community — and for Jewish diaspora observers watching Germany's domestic politics closely — the statement represents a significant escalation of concern about Die Linke's political trajectory. Previously covered reporting has noted that members of Berlin's Linke have described the Hamas massacres of 7 October as "resistance," a position the Central Council has consistently and strongly condemned.

New Hampshire State Office Promotes Yom Kippur-Day Event With Anti-Israel Group

JNS reports that the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs has listed on its official website a promotion for an online "peace and justice" event scheduled on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The event, described by JNS as hosted by an "anti-genocide group that defends Palestine," is said to focus on "U.S. militarism and racism."

JNS does not report that the state office was made aware of the scheduling conflict before publication. The timing — on Yom Kippur — and the nature of the group involved have drawn attention as an example of institutional insensitivity toward Jewish communities in the diaspora at a moment of heightened tension.

United Nations: Guterres Sends Yom Kippur Wishes, But No Formal High Holiday Message

JNS, which has previously pressed the United Nations on this issue, reports that Secretary-General António Guterres sent what the outlet describes as "warmest" Yom Kippur wishes — but that, as of the time of reporting, no formal High Holiday message had been issued by the UN. JNS notes that the organisation regularly sends holiday greetings to other faith groups. The disparity, which JNS has raised in previous years, continues to be a point of concern for those monitoring how international institutions treat the Jewish world.

Richmond Film Festival Reaffirms Israeli Film Programme After 2025 Boycott

According to JNS, the Richmond film festival is "doubling down" on its inclusion of Israeli films following a boycott by anti-Israel activists in 2025. The festival's founder told JNS: "I'm on high alert," indicating awareness that the event may again face pressure. The festival's decision to maintain its programming represents a direct pushback against cultural boycott efforts targeting Israeli artistic work.

Ed Sheeran Addresses Macklemore Controversy at Tour Restart

JTA reports that Ed Sheeran, performing largely solo after his touring band withdrew following his dismissal of rapper Macklemore from the tour, expressed sympathy for both Jews and Palestinians at his first tour stop since the controversy. Sheeran said that friends and family had "abandoned me" over Macklemore's ouster, which followed antisemitism accusations against the rapper. Sheeran did not take a one-sided political position, according to JTA's account, but addressed the pain on multiple sides of the conflict. The story continues to draw attention to the cultural pressures facing artists who navigate the Israel-Gaza divide in public.

F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia Advances

The Forward, citing JTA, reports that the U.S. State Department has approved a possible sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a deal valued at $24.3 billion. The report notes that this would make Saudi Arabia the second country in the Middle East, after Israel, to hold the advanced aircraft. The sale's implications for regional military balance — including for Israel — are noted in the sourcing, though the summaries available do not include Israeli government comment on the approval.