As Yom Kippur approaches, for those who fast, I wish you and your loved ones a meaningful fast and a day of reflection, renewal and connection. May we be sealed for a year of peace, health and strength.
This Update will be on pause for a couple of weeks. In the interim, here's a good read:
The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East by famed historian Simon Sebag Montefiore https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803078/the-cauldron-by-simon-sebag-montefiore/
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U of T Under Fire Over 'Bridging Theories of Antizionism' Working Group
CHINA
U.S. Links Chinese Satellite Imagery to Iran Strike that Killed 3 Troops
IRAN
IHR’s latest report documents Iran protest deaths across 30 of Iran’s 31 provinces - The verified victims include at least 420 women and 281 minors under the age of 18. 91% of established cases (at least 3,356 people) were killed over just a two-day period on January 8 and 9, 2026 https://iranhr.net/en/articles/9041/
ISRAEL
Palestinians poisoning central Israel’s water and livestock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFHH27L9C-c
PAKISTAN
PALESTINIANS
Fearing election defeat, Fatah continues to seek unity with Hamas “to defeat Israel” Ms. Rachel's friend, Motaz Azaiza was lauded worldwide for his Gaza journalism, won awards, and was honored across multiple countries. He explains how mainstream Western outlets have been getting their Gaza stories directly from the Hamas group chat. Motaz Azaiza admits he filmed Israeli hostages being beaten in the streets of Gaza on October 7, and deliberately never published it, to protect the identities of the people beating them. Qatar evacuated him during the war in one of their military planes, and now he lives comfortably in New York. https://x.com/kikas6652/status/2100665390749667833?s=20, video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak6hsyeOy60 Note: Translations by AI; https://x.com/MaxNordau/status/2100991727595049171?s=20The building that collapsed in Gaza—killing 30 people—did not fall because of old bombing damage from 2021; Gazan Telegram confirms the building collapsed due to Hamas' renovating tunnels. SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia appeals to Israel for help against Houthis and US Approves Massive Sale of F-35 Fighter Jets to Saudis – meanwhile U.S. intelligence officials are sounding the alarm about China getting access to the aircraft's technology and the Saudis still refuse to "normalize" relations with Israel Saudi Arabia discovers 110 million tonnes of uranium-bearing oreThe Mecca Pact: When does solidarity become defense? (H/T AJC)https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/pakistan-army-chief-urges-iran-to-persuade-houthis-not-to-target-saudi-energy-facilities-sources/4059811, and https://www.thenews.pk/story/1437693-pakistan-saudi-arabia-turkiye-to-decide-makkah-pact-s-operationalisation-says-ispr-dg, and https://www.geo.tv/latest/682383-defence-minister-says-time-has-come-to-implement-makkah-pact-amid-houthi-attacks
Senators oppose the administration's proposed nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia and and also try to block the Trump administration’s nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia https://x.com/HouseForeign/status/2100596063535083841 and https://www.merkley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/09.16-Saudi-123-Declassification-Letter.pdf
TUNISIA
Same flotilla, different outrage: Tunisia imprisons Gaza activists as world looks away - Reported on by Jerusalem Post, WIN, and Al Jazeera
UNITED KINGDOM
Documentary: Malignant Antisemitism in the NHSLabour MP forced to apologise after calling for British 'military action' against Israel Archbishop of Canterbury revokes award given to cleric who praised Bin Ladenhttps://tribune.com.pk/story/2630087/archbishop-of-canterbury-withdraws-award-given-to-tahir-ashrafi
Revealed: Ed Miliband ignored MI6’s warnings over Israel sanctionsUNITED NATIONS
UN-backed experts cite possible US war crimes in Iran - is an accident a war crime; is collatoral damage no longer an expected result of conflicts; if a combatant uses human shields is the UN not holding the party using human shields responsible?? https://www.scrippsnews.com/us-news/iran-war/un-backed-experts-cite-possible-us-war-crimes-in-iranTestimony at UN this week: “My Mother Was Held Hostage by an UNRWA Teacher“ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLfCRPD5sm4Russia, China veto UNSC resolution to continue inspections on Iranian nuclear program https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/world/middleeast/un-iran-resolution-russia-china-veto.html?Here UNICEF describes the violations against children in Gaza by Gazan Palestinians. You wouldn't know it from the headline nor the lack of public outrage. https://www.unicef.org/stories/protecting-children-violations-and-abuse-gaza USA
The State Department to reprogram $52 million in foreign military financing from Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia, and Iraq to Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. https://www.latintimes.com/trump-redirects-52-million-military-aid-peru-3-latin-american-nations-western-hemisphere-shift-599288Mahmoud Khalil Sues Columbia University for the Danger He Helped Create
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MEDIA
Edieal Pinker of the Yale School of Management: How the New York Times Framed the War Between Israel and Hamas - Correcting this bias is absolutely crucial because the Times is the "paper of record."
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1057610X.2026.2707956 See also https://www.camera.org/article/outlet/new-york-times/ and https://honestreporting.com/academic-study-proves-the-obvious-the-new-york-times-anti-israel-bias/ A recent example https://www.camera.org/article/ny-times-publishes-editors-note-after-reporting-israelis-largely-view-themselves-as-oct-7-victims/
Boston Globe corrects Omer Bartov’s lies https://www.camera.org/article/omer-bartov-and-the-boston-globes-knowing-lies/HRC Prompts Sun Papers Correction After Falsely Claiming IDF Strike Hit Gaza Hospital
https://honestreporting.ca/success-hrc-prompts-sun-papers-correction-after-falsely-claiming-idf-strike-hit-gaza-hospital/
The American Prospect Features Inaccurate Claims about the State of Israel and American Jews https://www.camera.org/article/the-american-prospect-features-inaccurate-claims-about-the-state-of-israel-and-american-jews/ ------------------------------------------------
Just in case you missed some of the details about the Macklemore, Sheerhan, Kraft, Pink bruhaha:
*Media Turns Macklemore’s Antisemitism Controversy Into a ‘Palestine’ Storyhttps://honestreporting.com/media-turns-macklemores-antisemitism-controversy-into-a-palestine-story/*‘Courageous’ Pink doubles down on brutal criticism of Macklemore amid harsh backlash
*Sheeran and Kraft have apparently seen and raised Macklemore's $1 million donation to Palestinian relief by donating $2 million each. How do you provide relief to anyone in Gaza while Hamas terrorists are still in control? https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/robert-kraft-says-ed-sheeran-222356128.html
Jewish Zionist politician joins Arab party Ra’am in push to defeat Netanyahu in the upcoming elections 
Leeds Minster displays memorial to PIJ and Hamas terrorists.