Sep 11, 2026

Jewish News Today: On the 25th Anniversary of 9/11, Jewish Leaders Draw Parallels to October 7 — While Terror Plots Against Jews Surface in Germany

As the world marked twenty-five years since the September 11 attacks, Jewish leaders across the diaspora drew explicit connections between that day and the Hamas assault of October 7, 2023. At the same time, new court proceedings in Germany exposed alleged Hamas-linked plots targeting Jews on European soil, and a teenager in England was charged with performing a Nazi salute outside a synagogue.

Chief Rabbi at London's 9/11 Memorial: 'Islamist Extremism Has Continued to Stain Our World'

Sir Ephraim Mirvis represented British Jewry at a London event marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 atrocity, according to the Jewish Chronicle. Speaking at the commemoration, the Chief Rabbi said that "Islamist extremism has continued to stain our world" — a phrase that, on this particular anniversary, carried direct resonance for a Jewish community that experienced October 7 less than three years ago.

The link between the two dates was made most personally by the family of Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli soldier taken hostage by Hamas on October 7. JNS reports that for his parents, September 11 and October 7 are "forever linked." Quoted by JNS, they said: "Our job is to tell the true story and remember who were the victims and how just are the war Israel conducted and the war America and Israel are conducting in Iran against the source of the evil."

Jewish-Muslim Relations: A 'Massive Fault Line' at the 25-Year Mark

The anniversary has also prompted reflection on the state of interfaith relations. The Forward reports that Jewish and Muslim leaders, particularly in New York City, avoided the hardest interfaith topics for years following 9/11 — but that the events of October 7 and the Gaza war have exposed what the paper describes as a "massive fault line." A quarter century after a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment swept America in the aftermath of the attacks, the two communities now find themselves navigating a fresh and deeply painful divide.

Hamas Suspects on Trial in Germany: Alleged Plot to Kill Jews and Israeli Representatives

In a development of direct relevance to the Jewish diaspora in Germany, the Jüdische Allgemeine reports that suspected Hamas operatives have been charged in Berlin. According to the publication, the suspects are accused of planning a deadly attack — targeting representatives of Israel, Jews, or supporters of Israel — in Germany or Austria around the second anniversary of the October 7 assault. The case is a stark reminder that the threat environment facing Jewish communities in Europe extends well beyond rhetoric.

Separately, the Jüdische Allgemeine also reports that a 16-year-old terror suspect is to stand trial in Augsburg in the coming weeks, accused of planning an attack on a synagogue. The teenager, assessed by the Munich General Prosecutor's Office as a sympathiser of extremist ideology, denies the allegations. Both cases underline the severity of the security situation confronting Jewish institutions in Germany.

Sachsen-Anhalt Election Result Raises Fears of an 'Alliance of Antisemites'

The Jüdische Allgemeine carries commentary on the outcome of the state election in Sachsen-Anhalt, expressing alarm not only at the performance of the AfD but at the arithmetic of coalition-building. The paper warns that without the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), no parliamentary majority appears possible — raising the prospect of what it describes as an "alliance of antisemites." The analysis reflects growing anxiety within German Jewish circles about the political direction of parts of eastern Germany.

Against this backdrop, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier sent a letter to Jewish communities in Germany marking Rosh Hashanah — the text of which the Jüdische Allgemeine published in full — in which he wrote that Germany must "do everything to combat antisemitism." The contrast between the presidential message and the electoral realities on the ground in Sachsen-Anhalt was not lost on observers.

Man Charged After Nazi Salute Outside Borehamwood Synagogue

In Britain, the Jewish Chronicle reports that a 19-year-old man named Kamil Mach has been charged after allegedly performing a Nazi salute outside a synagogue in Borehamwood as worshippers were leaving on May 9. The charge follows a pattern of incidents that have deeply unsettled British Jewish communities, and comes as antisemitism prosecutions in the UK continue to attract public attention.

New Publishing Imprint to Counter Boycott of Jewish and Israeli Authors

On a more defiant note, the Jewish Chronicle reports that Neil Blair — literary agent to J.K. Rowling — is launching a new publishing imprint specifically to promote Jewish and Israeli books. The venture is described as a direct response to what the paper calls the "post-October 7 chill" experienced by some authors in the literary world. The move is being seen in publishing circles as a deliberate act of cultural resistance against boycott pressure.

Indiana's Jewish Abortion Rights Case Returns to Court

In the United States, the Forward reports that a landmark legal case — in which Jewish women in Indiana are arguing that the state's abortion ban violates their religious freedom — has entered a critical new stage. The Indiana Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the case, which the Forward describes as a potential test of whether Jewish religious law can provide a constitutional basis for challenging abortion restrictions. The case is being watched closely by Jewish legal advocates across the country.

Israel's Population Reaches 10.3 Million, but Emigration Rises

As Jewish communities worldwide observe Rosh Hashanah and the new year of 5787, Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics has released new population figures. The Jüdische Allgemeine reports that Israel's population now stands at 10.305 million — but notes that the data also shows a growing number of people leaving the country, a trend the publication says is causing concern.