Jerusalem Report

War reshapes Israel-Diaspora ties: Global Jewish leaders assess challenges ahead - from the editor

Israel and the Diaspora are closer and more strained than ever. After October 7, rising antisemitism, shifting politics, and hard questions are reshaping a relationship at a critical crossroads

|ByRUTH MARKS EGLASH
War and rising antisemitism have deepened the stakes of the Israel–Diaspora relationship, forcing Jewish communities worldwide to confront shared vulnerability and responsibility.
Voice of the People council members during the organization’s in-person conference held last year in Haifa. The 150-member council with Jewish leaders from six continents was set up by Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to foster dialogue and create actionable strategis for challenges facing the Jewish

Solidarity is not a strategy: Israel-Diaspora relations need structured partnership - opinion

How Israel and Jewish communities worldwide can move from instinctive support to structured partnership

|BySHIREL DAGAN-LEVY
Outgoing Hebrew University president Prof. Asher Cohen.

Prof. Asher Cohen reflects on leading Jerusalem's Hebrew University through war, crises - interview

After eight eventful years leading Hebrew University, Professor Asher Cohen discusses crisis, continuity, and the role of academia in uncertain times

|ByRUTH MARKS EGLASH
A crowd of people observe the lighting of the world’s largest Hanukkah menorah near Grand Army Plaza in New York City.

You can't beat Chabad, so why not join them? - comment

Instead of fighting Chabad, Jewish organizations and communities worldwide should consider joining forces with it

|ByZVIKA KLEIN

Two women break barriers with $150 million Israeli defense fund

Protego Ventures is the only venture capital fund investing in Israeli defense tech that is led by two women.

DECEMBER 2, 2025ByRUTH MARKS EGLASH
Lital Leshem and Lee Moser founded Protego, Israel’s first and largest defense-tech venture capital firms after October 7 to support a growing number of start-ups in the field.

A new era for The Jerusalem Report - from the editor

From women in combat to shifts in the haredi world, this issue is all about change – starting with us.

DECEMBER 1, 2025ByRUTH MARKS EGLASH
'Women on the front.' Lital Leshem and Lee Moser raised $150 million to investment in Israeli defense tech.

Stopping the AI slop: Israel's new battle against deepfakes and digital deception

Anyone with a smartphone can use AI to create realistic-looking videos and images, a phenomenon that threatens to upend our perception of the world.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByMATTHEW KALMAN
During the war between Israel and Iran in June 2025, social media platforms were flooded with images and videos of widespread destruction in Tel Aviv. Most were fake.

The day before the day after in Gaza: What must happen before rebuilding can truly begin - opinion

After two years of war, there is a rare opportunity to effect genuine change.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByRUTH WASSERMAN LANDE
The most crucial step toward lasting reform in Gaza is ending indoctrination in schools, media, mosques, and politics throughout the Arab world.

The Palestinian dilemma: Why Hamas continues to fail the Palestinian people - opinion

Hamas has delivered sustained misery, failure, death, and devastation to the Palestinian people and their cause.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByAHMED FOUAD ALKHATIB
A girl sits on an iron structure at a makeshift camp in Gaza City on November 3, 2025. After two years of war and devastation, there is an opportunity for Palestinians and Israelis to find a path to peace.

‘Weaponized empathy’: Hamas exploits Western ignorance of war, military expert says - opinion

Challenging the global narrative on Israel and Gaza with firsthand experience and analysis.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByANDREW FOX
There have been incidents where the conduct of some soldiers has strayed outside the laws of armed conflict, but the IDF says it is investigating many hundreds of allegations against its troops.

The fight for Israel's legitimacy now runs through algorithms

The global struggle over Israel’s legitimacy must be fought via algorithms, livestreams, and viral feeds.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByDAVID SIMAN-TOV
The war in Gaza has underscored a painful truth: Israel excels on the battlefield but falters in the battle for hearts and minds. An Israeli soldier sits on top of a tank at a position in the South, near the Israel-Gaza border fence, on October 30, 2025.

The Jewish world cannot answer doctrinal war with crisis communications - opinion

It is a losing battle to send a fashion influencer into a historical debate.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025BySAMUEL J. HYDE
The young people who chant for intifada and denounce Zionism with quasi-religious conviction do not consider themselves ignorant. They consider themselves enlightened.

The Iraqi cleric and ex-Houthi spokesperson breaking ranks to defend Israel online

Two Arab activists are challenging dominant regional narratives by defending Israel online, even after facing bombings, persecution, and exile.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByDANA BEN-SHIMON
Ghaith Al-Tamimi condemned the October 2025 Yom Kippur attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England.

Likes don't equal influence: Why Jewish advocacy's digital strategy is failing - opinion

The Jewish world has spent millions on pro-Israel influencers, but merely being seen is a ‘digital illusion’.

NOVEMBER 19, 2025ByHEN MAZZIG
Hen Mazzig is an Israeli-raised author and social critic.