Jewish News Today: West Bank Shooting Leaves Two Critical, Germany Expels Iranian Diplomat Over Murder Plot, and Antisemitism Surges Across US Cities

Two Israelis were critically wounded by Palestinian gunfire near a checkpoint in the West Bank on Friday, with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stating that a larger terror attack had been thwarted. Separately, Germany summoned Iran's ambassador after a court found Tehran had recruited a man to plot the assassination of a senior Jewish leader — one of several antisemitism stories spanning three continents as the Jewish diaspora confronts a week of serious security concerns.

West Bank Attack: Two Critically Wounded Near Hebron

According to JTA, two Israelis were critically wounded by Palestinian gunfire in the West Bank on Friday. The Jüdische Allgemeine reported that the shooting occurred near an Israeli checkpoint close to Hebron, in the southern West Bank, and that Israeli forces launched a counter-terrorism operation in the area in its aftermath. An ammunition cache was found in the gunmen's vehicle, JTA reported. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said the discovery indicated that a larger terror attack had been thwarted.

The Jüdische Allgemeine further reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attributed responsibility for the attack to Hamas, and that Israel was preparing to impose a closure on the West Bank in response. The attack comes less than a week before Israel's general election on 27 October.

Germany Summons Iranian Envoy Over Plot to Kill Jewish Leader

The Jewish Chronicle reported that Germany has summoned Iran's ambassador following the conviction of two men who plotted attacks on Josef Schuster, a prominent Jewish community leader, and Volker Beck, a politician and advocate for Jewish-German relations. A German court found that Iran had recruited one of the plotters. Both men received prison sentences. The case marks a serious escalation in documented Iranian targeting of Jewish and pro-Israel figures on European soil and will intensify existing concerns about state-sponsored threats to diaspora communities.

Orthodox Jewish Man Stabbed in Manhattan's Diamond District

An Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed on Wednesday evening in the Diamond District of midtown Manhattan and is in stable condition, according to the Forward, citing the New York Jewish Week. The NYPD is investigating the attack as a potential hate crime, JNS reported. According to StopAntisemitism, the victim was a "Chabad Jew, just walking down the street in the heart of Manhattan." No further details about the suspect were available in the sources at time of publication.

Bronx Officials Condemn Anti-Zionist Group Targeting Jewish Gatherings in Riverdale

Bronx officials, including Representative Richie Torres and New York state and city elected officials, publicly condemned the group Pal-Awda for targeting Jewish gatherings in the Riverdale neighbourhood, JNS reported. The officials stated that "pushing anyone out of public life in our city because of their faith is nothing to celebrate." JTA also covered a planned protest by anti-Zionist groups in the same area, noting that Riverdale has a significant Jewish population.

Further Antisemitism Threats Across the United States

Several additional antisemitism-related cases emerged in the Jewish news today. JNS reported that a Utah man allegedly threatened to bomb a synagogue and searched Google Maps for synagogue locations; prosecutors say he "openly declared his hatred for Israel and his intent to kill Jews," according to Assistant US Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon. A Florida man accused of threatening to "hunt" Jews and who allegedly endorsed Adolf Hitler has been ordered held pending trial, JNS reported. In Arizona, police are investigating ongoing antisemitic death threats against Tammy Caputi, a Jewish candidate for the state House, JNS added.

On campus, Tulane University cancelled an in-person talk by a Columbia University professor that was to accuse Israel of "weaponizing" diseases, following backlash — though student organizers were told they could still live-stream the event, JNS reported. A House education panel report on antisemitism in Berkeley schools was welcomed by Bay Area Jewish groups, with Tali Klima of the Bay Area Jewish Coalition telling JNS: "We urge Congress to make the district fully accountable for its decisions and provide real consequences that lead to actionable change."

UK: New Antisemitism Measures in Schools Draw Teachers' Union Pushback

The UK government has adopted sweeping measures to combat antisemitism in English schools, the Forward reported, citing JTA. The move followed a new government-commissioned report. However, the country's largest teachers' union pushed back against the measures. The development is significant for British Jewish communities who have long raised concerns about the school environment for Jewish pupils.

Separately, the Jewish Chronicle published a commentary arguing that London's mayor must use every available power to protect the Jewish community from extremists, framing the challenge in the context of the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street.

JNS also published a commentary by Marcus Dysch examining broader anxieties in the British Jewish community, describing a combination of "political challenge, social exclusion and physical violence" leaving many Jews questioning their future in the UK.

Heaton Park Survivor Recognised for Bravery at Pride of Britain Awards

Andrew Franks, a volunteer security guard at a Manchester synagogue who was stabbed multiple times by terrorist Jihad al-Shamie during the Heaton Park attack, has been recognised for "outstanding bravery" at the Pride of Britain Awards, the Jewish Chronicle reported. The recognition brings renewed public attention to an attack that shocked British Jewish communities and highlighted the dangers faced by volunteer security personnel protecting Jewish institutions.

Gail's Bakery Targeted with 'Bomb Bread' Posters

A new branch of the Gail's bakery chain has been targeted with posters reading "bomb bread," with activists accusing the company of having financial links to what they termed the "genocidal state of Israel," the Jewish Chronicle reported. The campaign also cited gentrification concerns. The incident reflects a continuing pattern of economic boycott pressure being directed at businesses perceived to have Israeli connections on British high streets.

Israeli Election Countdown: Key Developments

With Israel's election four days away, a range of pre-vote developments are relevant to diaspora communities with family and ties there. The Jüdische Allgemeine reported that around 67,000 Israelis living abroad plan to travel to Israel to cast their votes, according to a survey by the Fly Vote initiative. Separately, families of October 7 victims plan to stand outside polling stations across Israel with photographs to remind voters of those killed and taken hostage, the Jüdische Allgemeine reported.

JNS reported that approximately a quarter of military voting stations are located beyond Israel's borders, in Lebanon and Gaza, with mobile polling teams operating under armed escort. Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress and once a close confidant of Netanyahu, levelled sharp criticism at the prime minister in an interview published by the Jüdische Allgemeine, saying Netanyahu had "placed politics above peace." The Forward also examined the question of Netanyahu's political survival, noting his reputation as a formidable electoral operator now facing an unusually contested race.

On the haredi conscription debate — one of the most divisive issues in the election — JTA reported that by 2050, over 40 per cent of 18-year-old potential male Jewish recruits will be haredi, raising the stakes of any policy decision. A new ultra-Orthodox party has broken ranks by publicly supporting mandatory IDF service for haredi men, JTA reported, an unusual position that reflects how the wartime context has shifted internal community debate.

Jewish Museum of Venice Reopens After Seven-Year Renovation

The Jewish Museum of Venice, located in the city's historic ghetto, has reopened following a seven-year closure and a £4.5 million renovation, the Jewish Chronicle reported. The museum offers what the Chronicle described as an intimate glimpse into 16th-century Jewish community life. For diaspora visitors, the reopening represents an opportunity to engage with one of the oldest surviving Jewish communal sites in Europe.

Sources

• JTA — Two Israelis critically wounded by Palestinian gunfire in West Bank
• Jüdische Allgemeine — Netanyahu blames Hamas for Hebron-area attack
• Jüdische Allgemeine — Israel prepares West Bank closure after attack
• Jewish Chronicle — Germany summons Iranian envoy over plot to kill Jewish leader
• Forward — Orthodox Jewish man stabbed in midtown Manhattan
• JNS — NYPD probing stabbing of Jewish man in Diamond District as hate crime
• JNS — Bronx officials decry Pal-Awda targeting Jewish gatherings in Riverdale
• JTA — Bronx officials blast anti-Zionist groups' planned protest in Riverdale
• JNS — Utah man searched Google Maps for synagogue after allegedly threatening to bomb one
• JNS — Florida man accused of threatening to 'hunt' Jews ordered held pending trial
• JNS — Arizona Democrat target of antisemitic death threats
• JNS — After backlash, Tulane cancels in-person talk on Israel 'weaponizing' diseases
• JNS — House ed panel report on Jew-hatred in Berkeley schools
• Forward — UK adopts sweeping measures against antisemitism in schools
• Jewish Chronicle — Heaton Park survivor recognised for 'outstanding bravery' at Pride of Britain Awards
• Jewish Chronicle — New branch of Gail's targeted by 'bomb bread' posters
• Jüdische Allgemeine — Tens of thousands of Israelis abroad to travel for election
• Jüdische Allgemeine — October 7 families plan polling station vigils
• JNS — Quarter of military voting stations are beyond Israel's borders
• Jüdische Allgemeine — Ronald Lauder attacks Netanyahu ahead of election
• Forward — Can Netanyahu win again?
• JTA — Will this election end the battle over drafting haredi men into the Israeli army?
• JTA — Why a new ultra-Orthodox party supports drafting haredi men to the IDF
• Jewish Chronicle — Jewish Museum of Venice reopens
• JNS — Questions lingering on Jewish minds in the United Kingdom