Sep 29, 2026

Jewish News Today: UK Widens Israel Arms Ban, Record Durban Boycott, and Irish Soccer Row Deepens

Britain has almost trebled the number of blocked export licences to Israel, a German town's ban on Holocaust memorial stones draws international condemnation, and the fallout from Ireland's refusal to shake hands with Israel's soccer team continues to grow. These stories, alongside a wave of antisemitism-related developments across the United States and Europe, define a sombre day for the Jewish diaspora.

UK Widens Israel Arms Export Ban

The British government has extended its ban on arms exports to Israel, widening restrictions to cover 80 export licences — almost triple the previous number — according to the Jewish Chronicle. The expanded ban covers items that could be used by the IDF in Gaza.

Separately, at the Labour Party conference, senior ministers Ed Miliband and Dame Emily Thornberry told delegates that Britain is actively shaping other countries' policies on Israel, the Jewish Chronicle reports. Both claimed the UK is exerting influence on events in the Middle East, though the report does not specify which countries or policies they cited.

Record Number of States Boycott Durban Anniversary Event at the UN

A record number of states have boycotted a United Nations event marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban conference, according to JNS. The original 2001 Durban conference became notorious for antisemitic rhetoric and has long been a flashpoint between Israel, Jewish organisations, and the UN system.

Israel's envoy to the UN told JNS that the United Nations must confront antisemitism "with the same seriousness as every other form of racism." Jewish groups who met with diplomats on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly described the encounters as having "incredible value," with the ADL's Marina Rosenberg noting that some foreign delegations "really understand how antisemitism is threatening their own countries," JNS reports.

Ireland-Israel Soccer Match: Handshake Snub and Retirement Talk

The aftermath of Sunday's UEFA Nations League B match between Ireland and Israel — in which Ireland won 3-0 — continues to generate controversy. The Forward and the Jewish Chronicle both report that the Irish team refused to shake hands with their Israeli opponents after the final whistle.

Irish-Israeli footballer Finn Azaz is now reportedly considering retirement following the row, according to the Jewish Chronicle. Azaz reportedly made an "impassioned speech" during a team meeting before the fixture but did not play due to fitness concerns. Israeli goalkeeper Daniel Peretz told the Jewish Chronicle that the Irish players' hostility "stems from ignorance," while also apologising to Israeli fans for what he called his side's "embarrassing" performance.

German Town's Holocaust Memorial Stone Ban Condemned

A German town's decision to ban new Holocaust memorial stones — so-called Stolpersteine, the small brass plaques embedded in pavements to commemorate victims of Nazism — has drawn sharp international criticism. The International Auschwitz Committee called the decision "despicable," the Jewish Chronicle reports. This story was first covered here yesterday; today's development is the formal public condemnation from the International Auschwitz Committee.

Maastricht Student Suspended After Claiming Participation in October 7 Attack

The University of Maastricht in the Netherlands has suspended a student from Gaza after he appeared to suggest in an Instagram video that he had taken part in Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, according to the Jüdische Allgemeine. The student is reported to have said "October 7 — I was there." The university acted after the video came to light. The case raises acute questions about campus safety and due diligence in European universities with international student populations.

UN Rapporteur Albanese Apologises Over Holocaust Distortion

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, has apologised after being accused of distorting the Holocaust, the Jewish Chronicle reports. Albanese made a claim that Jewish prisoners in Nazi camps were referred to as "Muslims" — a statement that critics said attempted to rewrite the meaning of the word "antisemitism." The Jewish Chronicle describes her as having been accused of trying to manipulate Holocaust terminology in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

California Creates Protective Zones Around Synagogues

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation creating protective buffer zones around religious institutions, the Forward reports. The law follows a pro-Palestinian protest at a Los Angeles synagogue last year. The measure applies to all religious institutions but was prompted in significant part by concerns from the Jewish community about demonstrations outside synagogues.

Los Angeles Jewish Librarian Named in Lawsuit Over 'Palestine Week' Cancellation

A Jewish city librarian in Los Angeles has described suffering a "panic attack" and "sat down at my desk and started crying" after learning she had been named in a lawsuit connected to the cancellation of a "Palestine week" event, JNS reports. Tina Lerno told JNS she was traumatised by the legal action. The case illustrates the personal toll that institutional disputes over Israeli-Palestinian programming are taking on individual Jewish public servants in the United States.

Maryland Schools: Rabbis Demand Action as Jewish Families Withdraw Children

Rabbis in Montgomery County, Maryland — one of the most heavily Jewish counties in the United States — are demanding action from school authorities as Jewish families withdraw children from public schools, JNS reports. One source quoted by JNS described Zionism as "a lightning rod issue" but added that "it's also a fundamental part of Jewish identity, and most Jews in Montgomery County and beyond believe that Israel is a core part of their Jewish identity." The report does not specify the precise grievances prompting withdrawals, but the context is a broader pattern of tension in American public schools over Israel-related content.

Holocaust Art Restitution: Senators Back Austrian Jewish Family, Sotheby's Sued

On the question of Nazi-looted art, two separate legal developments emerged. US senators have filed a court brief supporting an Austrian Jewish family seeking restitution of art stolen during the Holocaust, JNS reports. Senators cited the Nazi art theft campaign as "a deeply personal theft and an act of inhumanity."

Separately, the heirs of Jewish banker Salomon Flavian are suing Sotheby's over the £1.2 million sale of a painting they claim was looted by the Nazis in 1941, the Jewish Chronicle reports. Lawyers for Sotheby's dispute the family's account of how the painting changed hands.

Germany: Academic Institute Accused of Minimising Antisemitism

An opinion piece in the Jewish Chronicle alleges that an academic institute at the Technical University of Berlin — formally tasked with studying antisemitism — has "systematically ignored or relativised" manifestations of Jew-hatred within Muslim communities and on the political left. The piece describes the institute as an "academic centre for the denial of antisemitism." The claim is the opinion of the Jewish Chronicle's contributor; the institute has not been quoted in the supplied material.

Halle Discussion Marks Three Years Since October 7

Jewish communities in Saxony-Anhalt are holding a panel discussion in Halle on the causes of rising antisemitism and anti-Zionism in the three years since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, according to the Jüdische Allgemeine. The event reflects a broader pattern across German Jewish communities of structured public reflection as the anniversary approaches.