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Ben Yechezkeli

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Matis Glen

Zev Smoke

Shimon G.

Eli Weinreb

Y Moller

Sol Katz

Matt Glen

Chaim Racer

GENEVA, September 15, 2026 — United Nations officials said Tuesday that efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo were beginning to produce results, but cautioned that the epidemic remained &#8220;massive&#8221; and would require months to bring under control.



&#8220;It remains a deadly and a massive epidemic. There are some areas of progress, but nonetheless, in other ​areas, we continue to see growth in cases,&#8221; the U.N. special Ebola coordinator, Julien Harneis, told reporters at a Geneva press briefing.



The outbreak is the second-deadliest on record, surpassed only by the West African epidemic that continued from 2014 to 2016.



Olivier le Polain of the World Health Organization was asked about reports that the outbreak might have reached a turning point. He responded: &#8220;It&#8217;s too early to confidently say we have passed a ​peak.&#8221;



On Saturday, Congo’s Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba reported what he described as &#8220;encouraging ​signs&#8221; in the response to Ebola. He said the situation had improved since &#8220;the peak reached in mid-August&#8221; and that transmission &#8220;has ⁠been gradually slowing down&#8221;.



Kamba said the number of new daily cases had declined from roughly 120 &#8220;at the peak of the epidemic&#8221; to approximately 80. He added that 10 of the 62 affected health zones had gone more than 22 days without recording new cases.



&#8220;To me, these figures are a positive sign. They demonstrate that the efforts deployed on the ground ​are yielding results and that our response strategy ​is beginning ⁠to bend the transmission curve,&#8221; he said.



&#8220;However, we must remain fully mobilised. While these results are encouraging, they must not lead us to ⁠lower ​our guard.&#8221;



Government figures released Tuesday show that the outbreak has resulted in 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths across seven provinces.

Ebola Outbreak in Eastern Congo Remains Massive as U.N. Warns Cases Continue to Rise

Police and the Shin Bet announced Tuesday that they had recently arrested a 19-year-old resident of the central Arab town of Kafr Qasim on suspicion of plotting a terror attack.



The suspect, Mustafa Issa, was “greatly influenced” by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre and the violence that erupted in mixed Jewish-Arab cities during May 2021, according to a joint statement from the security agencies.



Investigators said Issa had searched the internet for information about warfare and explosives and made multiple attempts to manufacture an explosive device.



Hebrew media reported that Issa is suspected of planning to target a server farm operated by software company Amdocs. He allegedly intended to use his position as a volunteer firefighter to gain access to the facility.



At the time of his arrest, Issa was found carrying “a lot of training equipment” along with Airsoft guns, according to the security agencies.



Police and the Shin Bet said prosecutors had issued a statement ahead of an expected indictment against Issa.



“The Shin Bet and Israel Police view with great severity any involvement of Israeli citizens in activity that puts state security at risk,” the agencies said.



The arrest follows other recent terrorism-related cases involving Israeli Arab citizens.



In July, four Israeli citizens from the Bedouin town of Segev Shalom were arrested and indicted over alleged plans to carry out several terror-related activities, including a mass shooting at Beersheba’s central bus station.



In June, an Arab Israeli terrorist opened fire on people at a gas station near Kochav Ya’ir and outside the communities of Tzur Yitzhak and Tzur Natan in central Israel. The attack killed a member of a civilian defense squad and injured five others.

Arab Israeli Teen Arrested Over Alleged Hamas-Inspired Plot to Attack Amdocs Server Farm

A man was taken into custody Monday evening after a 14-year-old bocher was reportedly slashed inside a shul in Brooklyn, according to police.



Authorities said they received a 911 call at approximately 7:20 p.m. reporting an emotionally disturbed person inside the shul at 1675 54th St. in Borough Park.



Police said a 22-year-old man used some type of cutting instrument to slash the 14-year-old boy’s hand.



The suspect was taken into custody, while the teenager declined medical treatment.



According to police, both the suspect and the victim were congregants at the shul. Police said the suspect is mentally ill.



The circumstances that led to the incident remain unclear, and authorities have not released additional details.

14-Year-Old Bocher Slashed Inside Brooklyn Shul; Suspect in Custody

New polls released Sunday evening show Israel&#8217;s political system trending toward a deadlock that could force the country into another round of elections without a clear governing majority emerging.



A Channel 11 (Kan) poll shows the Netanyahu bloc and the Eisenkot bloc tied at 52 seats each. Between the two blocs sits Yoaz Hendel&#8217;s party, whose leader has said he will attempt to form a unity government without the Arab parties. The Arab parties are projected to win 12 seats.



A new Channel 12 poll shows the Netanyahu bloc is at a low of 50 seats, against 54 for the Eisenkot bloc. Hendel&#8217;s party is projected at four seats, with the Arab parties again at 12.



Belaaz Analysis: If these numbers hold on election day, political observers say Israel could be headed for another inconclusive round — echoing 2019–2020, when three consecutive election cycles were needed before a government was finally formed.

New Polls Show Israeli Political System Deadlocked; Another Election Round Possible

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is proceeding with plans to reorganize its legislative body, the Palestinian National Council (PNC), ahead of Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections scheduled for November 28, according to Palestinian reports.



Approved in June following an announcement by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas last year, the reforms will expand the use of elections to choose PNC members, partially replacing the previous system of factional quotas, designated allocations, and special appointments.



The revised structure will reduce the council’s membership by more than half, from 747 to 350. The new composition will include 132 PLC members representing the Palestinian territories, 150 representatives of the Palestinian diaspora, and 67 members chosen by consensus to represent PLO factions.



Last week, Palestinians in Kuwait elected Hisham Ibrahim and Saleh Qannam as the first two PNC representatives selected from outside the Palestinian territories. Soon afterward, Dr. Tamer Kadash was elected to represent the Palestinian community in Bahrain, while Muhannad Al-Shorbaji Al-Agha and Imad Al-Bal‘awi were chosen to represent Palestinians in Qatar.



Arab reports indicate that similar elections are being organized in Lebanon and Syria through an electoral college system. According to Independent Arabia, Palestinian communities in Europe, the United States, and South America have established preparatory committees to reach consensus on selecting future PNC representatives. The report states that one seat will be allocated for every 35,000 Palestinians.



Palestinians living in Jordan are not currently scheduled to participate in direct PNC elections.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Abbas Presents Reform as Democratic Progress Amid Opposition</h3>



Although Abbas has promoted the restructuring as a step forward for Palestinian democracy, officials from other political factions have criticized the creation of a council that excludes Hamas.



Ramzi Rabah, a member of the PLO Executive Committee representing the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), told Independent Arabia that the council “can be formed through consensus among everyone following a national dialogue that opens the door to everyone joining, including Hamas, which does not require postponing [the elections] for two years. It can happen within a month.”



Rabah urged Abbas to bring the factions’ secretaries-general together for “an expanded meeting to establish mechanisms for forming the National Council and mechanisms for holding elections in an atmosphere of understanding.”



The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) also issued a statement last week expressing concern that the new process permits different electoral arrangements, “including the use of electoral colleges or selection mechanisms that do not necessarily allow all Palestinians within those communities to participate.”



The organization further condemned the exclusion of “Palestinian political forces and figures.”



Despite these objections, Hamas has indicated that it wants to participate in the PLC and PNC elections as part of a broader national coalition rather than contesting the vote under its own name.



However, candidates must recognize the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and endorse its political and national program, along with relevant international legitimacy resolutions. This requirement has also drawn criticism of the restructured electoral system.



Information published by the Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute indicates that Hamas officials have already been actively exploring potential political alliances.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hamas Seeks Wider Participation in Palestinian Elections</h3>



Earlier this month, Husam Badran, a member of the Hamas political bureau and head of its national relations office, held a telephone conversation with Salem Atallah, secretary-general of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, concerning the elections. Badran also spoke with Hassan Mahmoud Abu Halima, secretary-general of the Palestinian al-Ahrar Movement, about expanding the participation of Palestinian “organizations, forces and figures” and opposing the appointment of representatives.



In comments to Independent Arabia, Badran criticized the continuation of “the same approach of exclusivity and disregarding the right of the Palestinian people to choose their representatives is a national crime and a confiscation of the right of the Palestinian communities present in every country.”



Amid the absence of an agreement among the factions, members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have reportedly called on Abbas to delay the PLC elections. Some experts and Palestinian officials believe Abbas may consider postponement over concerns that the vote could strengthen Hamas’s influence in the West Bank.



Last Monday, the PFLP submitted a proposal titled the “National Rescue Plan.” The initiative calls for postponing the November 28 elections, initiating comprehensive national dialogue, establishing a consensus government, rebuilding the PLO, and subsequently holding presidential, legislative, and National Council elections simultaneously.

PLO Advances Palestinian National Council Overhaul as November Elections Near

Six Israeli municipalities have announced that they will not allow live chickens to be used for kapparot ahead of Yom Kippur, following pressure from animal rights organization Let the Animals Live to local government leaders across the country.



Tel Mond, Yeruham, Mevaseret Zion, and Yavne joined the initiative this year. Kiryat Bialik and Rishon Lezion, which responded to the organization’s appeal last year, have renewed their commitments.



The six municipalities are joining Kfar Saba, Ra&#8217;anana, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Beersheba, Ashkelon, Ramle, and Petah Tikva, which Let the Animals Live says have prohibited the practice within their jurisdictions for several years.



This is the second consecutive year that Let the Animals Live has contacted municipal leaders nationwide to seek restrictions on the use of live chickens during kapparot.



According to the organization, Veterinary Services regulations governing kapparot allow local authorities to prohibit ceremonies involving live chickens within their jurisdictions. Regardless of whether slaughter occurs at the location, organizers are required to obtain approval from the municipality’s veterinary department.



The use of live chickens in kapparot has been criticized by animal welfare advocates for years. In 2019, the Environmental Protection Ministry also encouraged the public to consider alternatives, including donating money to charity instead of conducting the ritual with a chicken.



Let the Animals Live said chickens involved in the ceremony may experience distress from the time they are transported to the event. The organization said the birds may be confined in cramped cages, sometimes without adequate food or water, and exposed to noise, movement, and crowded conditions.



The organization said kapparot can be performed without using live animals. One alternative is to donate money to charity or contribute to charitable institutions.



&#8220;Yom Kippur represents introspection, compassion, and mercy, and there is no justification for marking it through a custom that involves fear and severe suffering for animals,&#8221; Let the Animals Live CEO Yael Arkin said.



&#8220;The kapparot custom can be observed in a way that respects tradition while at the same time helping people in need, through a donation to charity. We welcome the authorities that have already made a clear decision and call on additional heads of local authorities to join them: Do not grant permits for the chicken kapparot custom, and ensure that the public space under their responsibility is not used to harm animals,&#8221; she added.



Religious and Community Response



Traditional and ultra-Orthodox communities defend the use of live chickens in kapparot as a deeply rooted custom intended to symbolize spiritual atonement before Yom Kippur. Some religious leaders view outright bans as an infringement on religious freedom or as an attempt to deepen tensions between secular and observant populations.



In areas where the practice is not completely banned, authorities often seek to regulate it through strict veterinary oversight, permits, and confinement of the ritual to designated locations, such as courtyards or butcher stalls. Supporters of this approach say it preserves the custom while reducing public nuisance, sanitation concerns, and potential health risks.

Six Israeli Cities Prohibit Live-Chicken Kapparot Ahead of Yom Kippur as Animal Rights Group Calls for Wider Ban

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to New York from September 23 to 25 to participate in the United Nations General Assembly, the Prime Minister’s Office announced Monday.



Netanyahu is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday, September 24. His trip will take place after Yom Kippur and before the Sukkot holiday.



The prime minister last attended the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2025, before Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor. During that visit, Netanyahu delivered a speech criticizing Western nations for supporting Palestinian statehood.



&#8220;You know what message the leaders who recognize the Palestinian state this week sent to the Palestinians? It’s a very clear message: murdering Jews pays off,” Netanyahu told the 80th UNGA.



Netanyahu’s Visit Follows Mamdani’s Reversal on Arrest Threat



The announcement comes after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged on July 22 that he lacked the authority to enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Netanyahu.



During his 2025 campaign for New York City mayor, Mamdani repeatedly pledged to direct the New York Police Department (NYPD) to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister entered the city.



In a September 2025 interview with the New York Times, Mamdani described Netanyahu as &#8220;a war criminal who was committing a genocide in Gaza,&#8221; and said he would have the prime minister arrested upon his arrival in New York. He also stated that he &#8220;intended to fulfill&#8221; that commitment.



Mamdani continued making similar claims after taking office, maintaining that the NYPD would arrest Netanyahu if he visited the city. In July, during an interview with New York Times podcast host Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Mamdani declared, &#8220;Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in the Hague.&#8221;



&#8220;He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the ICC,” Mamdani added. “And what you will find is that it is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.” During the same interview, however, he conceded that he might not possess the legal authority to order such an arrest.

Netanyahu Confirms New York Visit for UN Speech as Mamdani Walks Back Arrest Threat

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid met in Jerusalem on Monday for a security briefing, with Netanyahu seeking opposition backing for transferring additional funds to Israel’s defense establishment.



Opposition leaders are traditionally briefed by the prime minister each month on sensitive national security matters. However, Netanyahu and Lapid have not consistently maintained that schedule, amid their strained political relationship.



According to an opposition source, Netanyahu initially delivered a routine security update. The meeting was then joined by IDF Planning Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Hidai Zilberman and National Security Adviser Shmuel Ben Ezra. Accountant General Michal Abadi-Boiangiu participated by telephone.



Netanyahu subsequently asked Lapid’s opposition to support bringing Israel’s budget back before the Knesset, according to Lapid’s office, so additional funding could be allocated to the country’s defense establishment.



Lapid said he supports increasing funding for the IDF but opposed raising taxes on Israel’s middle class or reservists to finance the increase, his office reported. He instead urged Netanyahu to redirect funds currently allocated to his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners.



“Instead, include in the proposal the cancellation of the corrupt coalition funds and the tens of billions of shekels you are currently transferring to fund Haredi draft evasion,” Lapid tells Netanyahu, “and we will support the proposal in the Knesset as well.”

Lapid Challenges Netanyahu Over Defense Funding, Demands End to Haredi Coalition Payments

The New York City Health Department has ordered 10 cooling towers in the South Bronx to undergo cleaning and disinfection following an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, city health officials announced Sunday.



The remediation order covers building cooling systems in ZIP codes 10451 and 10456, which include the Melrose and Morrisania neighborhoods.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">9 People Diagnosed So Far</h3>



According to officials, nine people had been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease connected to the cluster as of Saturday. Three remain hospitalized, four have been discharged, one did not require hospitalization, and one person has died.



One fatality has been reported in connection with the Bronx cluster, which initially involved five diagnosed cases.



Preliminary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing detected Legionella bacteria DNA in 10 of the 24 cooling towers sampled by health inspectors, officials said Sunday. Since PCR testing cannot distinguish between living and dead bacteria, the city is conducting culture tests to determine whether active bacteria are present. Those results may take up to two weeks, leading officials to require complete cleaning, draining and disinfection by Monday to reduce the risk of exposure.



The 10 cooling towers covered by the remediation order are located at:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>820 Concourse Village West</li>



<li>234 E. 149th St.</li>



<li>1 E. 161st St.</li>



<li>470 E. 161st St.</li>



<li>1265 Franklin Ave.</li>



<li>567 Melrose Ave.</li>



<li>3339 Park Ave.</li>



<li>1160 Teller Ave.</li>



<li>890 Washington Ave.</li>



<li>1085 Washington Ave.</li>
</ul>



Health officials said eight of the affected sites had complied with the city’s 31-day testing requirement, introduced in May. However, 820 Concourse Village West and 1265 Franklin Ave. had not submitted the required testing information.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What Is Legionnaires’ Disease?</h3>



Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by inhaling mist containing live Legionella bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The illness is not transmitted from person to person.



Officials said tap water, showers, air conditioners and the interiors of the affected buildings remain safe to use.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Health Advice for Residents and Visitors</h3>



People who have lived in, worked in or visited the affected area since late August and subsequently developed flu-like symptoms are being advised to seek immediate medical attention, officials said Sunday.



Source: Information from the New York City Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Bronx Legionnaires’ Outbreak Prompts NYC Order to Clean and Disinfect 10 Cooling Towers

Israeli Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar on Sunday called for the citizenship of filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor to be revoked after their Gaza war documentary, NAZA, received the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival.



Zohar condemned the film as “vile” and accused its creators of damaging Israel’s reputation in pursuit of international recognition. He described their work as treasonous, though no such allegation has been established through judicial proceedings.



“The Venice Film Festival win for the vile film NAZA is shocking,” Zohar said in a statement issued by his office. He further declared that he would immediately begin efforts to have the filmmakers’ citizenship revoked.



However, the culture minister does not have the unilateral power to cancel Israeli citizenship. Israeli law requires a formal legal procedure for citizenship revocation based on disloyalty, involving the interior minister and judicial oversight.



Zohar also connected the dispute to his proposed reforms of Israel’s public cinema funding system. He argued that taxpayers should not be obligated to support films he regards as attacks on the Israel Defense Forces or the state.



Directed by Abraham and Szor, the documentary draws on three years of interviews with 24 individuals identified as Israeli soldiers and intelligence personnel. The film conceals the interviewees’ identities.



Those interviewed discuss Israel’s surveillance and target-selection mechanisms in Gaza, along with the authorization of military strikes anticipated to result in civilian casualties. NAZA alleges that military operations were deliberately approved despite forecasts of substantial harm to civilians.



The IDF has rejected the documentary’s claims and challenged its reliability, maintaining that anonymous or junior personnel may not have possessed access to the strategic information featured in the film.



During the award ceremony in Venice, Abraham criticized Israeli politicians and journalists who denounced the documentary without having watched it. He argued that attempts were underway to avoid addressing the reality depicted in the production.



Shot at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv, NAZA derives its title from a Hebrew military abbreviation associated with collateral damage. The film received an extended standing ovation after its premiere at the festival.



Abraham and Szor previously served as directors of No Other Land, collaborating with Palestinian filmmakers Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal. The documentary, which chronicles Palestinian communities in Judea and Samaria, won the 2025 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

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