New York
A man carrying a hammer entered the grounds of Ohr Avner Day Camp at the Jewish Institute of Queens in Elmhurst on Tuesday before being restrained by a security guard and taken into custody by New York City police.
Camp officials said the individual, who appeared to be mentally unwell, walked onto the campus and entered the front yard, where children were playing under staff supervision. He lay on the ground and asked for water, prompting counselors to approach while keeping campers safe. Staff noticed the hammer and requested that he surrender it, which he initially did. As children prepared to board buses, the man attempted to enter the building, leading to a struggle in which an eight-year-old boy sustained a minor head injury. The security officer intervened and held the man until police arrived. Officers recovered the hammer at the scene.
Hate crimes targeting Jewish New Yorkers increased during the administration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, according to NYPD statistics. The department reported 205 confirmed anti-Jewish hate crimes through the first seven months of 2026, up from 189 during the same period last year, an 8.5 percent rise. Anti-Jewish incidents accounted for 56.9 percent of all confirmed hate crimes citywide, with the overall total reaching 360, compared with 329 during the corresponding period of 2025, a 9.4 percent increase. The rise occurred even as major crime categories continued to decline across New York City.
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul holds a narrow four-point lead over Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in a new poll commissioned by a pro-Blakeman super PAC. The survey by Red Oak Strategic for the Strong and Safe super PAC showed Hochul with 47 percent support among registered voters, compared with Blakeman’s 43 percent, with 10 percent undecided. Hochul’s job approval stood at 39 percent, while 56 percent disapproved of her performance. Only 33 percent of respondents said she deserves re-election, and 61 percent indicated it is time for someone else to serve as governor. The poll of 2,000 registered voters, conducted from July 7 to 12, also found Blakeman leading among independents. The results suggest a potentially competitive contest in the race for New York governor.
FBI New York and the Southern District of New York announced the arrest of Mohammad Hasna on charges that he used his senior role at a purported global humanitarian organization to coordinate with Hamas’s senior leadership. According to the complaint, Hasna allegedly directed the delivery of funds and supplies to the designated foreign terrorist organization and distributed them under Hamas’s instructions. “Mohammad Hasna allegedly used a charity to funnel millions of dollars in aid to Hamas—a designated terrorist organization responsible for countless terrorist attacks, death, and destruction around the world,” said FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. Hasna, a Turkey-based official of the U.K.-registered group, faces counts of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and related terrorism-financing offenses.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked New York from enforcing its law that banned federal immigration agents from wearing face coverings and required them to display ID. A U.S. district judge ruled that the statute likely violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution by directly regulating federal officers. In the preliminary injunction, the judge wrote that “settled law establishes that federal, not state, authorities make the policies that animate the enforcement of federal immigration laws.” The decision prevents the state from imposing its uniform and identification requirements on ICE and other federal agents.
A New Jersey man was sentenced in federal court to time served plus seven days after pleading guilty to intentionally damaging Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights. Dan Sohail, 36, pleaded guilty in May to one count of intentionally damaging religious property. He has spent approximately five months in federal custody and one month in state custody. A judge also ordered him to pay $19,010 in restitution for repairs to the building. The incident occurred in January when Sohail repeatedly drove his vehicle into a side entrance of the facility during an event.
Mayor Mamdani said he was unaware that the city’s 18-member Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary did not include any Jewish attorneys, denying that religion played any role in the selection process. “I did not ask the religion of each person who was put forward,” Mamdani told reporters, noting that his administration appointed about half the committee’s members while other entities selected the rest. His comments followed criticism from a coalition of Jewish bar associations, including the Brandeis Association and the New York County Jewish Lawyers Guild, which urged the mayor to add Jewish representation. The groups argued that the panel failed to reflect the city’s demographics, given the significant presence of Jewish lawyers in New York.
Mayor Mamdani attended the funeral of Army Staff Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad but did not speak at the service. The 28-year-old Queens soldier was killed in an Iranian missile attack in Jordan. Although Mamdani prepared remarks, he was not invited to the podium. Sources familiar with the funeral said the family, citing political differences and a desire to avoid distractions, chose not to have him speak. City Hall declined to comment on the decision.
New York officials sued prediction-market platform Kalshi, describing it as an “illegal, unlicensed gambling operation.” Governor Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, both Democrats, announced the lawsuit, which was filed in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. The complaint alleges that Kalshi’s platform, which allows users to trade on the outcomes of sports, elections, and other events, meets the legal definition of gambling and operates without a license from the New York State Gaming Commission. Officials said the service exposes New Yorkers, including those under the legal gambling age of 21, to personal and financial risks. The state is seeking a court order to halt Kalshi’s operations, require the company to forfeit its profits, pay restitution to users, and face additional fines.
U.S.
Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions at a Senate hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic. The former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, appearing under subpoena before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, refused to respond to more than 100 inquiries. Fauci stated that he was acting on the advice of his attorneys and accused Paul of an “unhinged” campaign aimed at seeing him imprisoned. Paul and other Republican senators pressed him on the virus’s origins, research funding, and prior testimony. Fauci maintained that the hearing’s purpose was to entrap him into making statements that could be used against him. The committee chairman indicated plans to consider a contempt vote over the refusal to testify.
Michigan health officials have reported the first two U.S. deaths linked to the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak. Both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been affected by the parasitic intestinal illness and the dehydration it can cause. Officials released no further details about the victims. Cyclosporiasis, caused by the Cyclospora parasite and typically spread through contaminated food or water, is generally not life-threatening but can lead to severe diarrhea and complications in vulnerable people. The outbreak has produced thousands of cases nationwide, with Michigan recording the highest number of cases.
Massive wildfires have destroyed more than 600 homes and other structures in eastern Washington in what officials describe as Spokane’s largest natural disaster. No injuries or fatalities have been confirmed as firefighters continue battling three active wildfires in the area. The blazes forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents and burned thousands of acres amid high temperatures, strong winds, and dry conditions. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said he spoke with President Trump, who expressed support as state and local officials responded to the disaster.
A Sarasota, Florida, man has been arrested on a felony hate-crime charge after police said he threw a brick through the front window of a downtown Chabad synagogue. Authorities identified the suspect as 30-year-old Brayton Laschinger, who admitted targeting the synagogue because it was a Jewish house of worship after becoming angry over content he viewed on social media. Surveillance footage captured the incident at around 6 a.m., showing the man with a towel covering his head and face as he threw the brick. He faces a charge of criminal mischief of a religious building as a hate crime.
A White House teleprompter operator who was placed on unpaid leave after reports that he used inside knowledge to place bets on President Donald Trump’s speeches on the prediction market Kalshi is no longer in his position. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday that the man “no longer works in the federal government.” The official declined to say whether he resigned or was fired. The man had been placed on unpaid administrative leave earlier following news accounts of the alleged activity, which involved wagers on specific words or phrases the president might use. Kalshi reportedly flagged the trades and referred the matter to regulators.
Israel
An Israeli civilian has been arrested and charged with spying for Iran after allegedly maintaining contact with an Iranian intelligence operative. Prosecutors say the suspect, who served on both active and reserve duty in a classified military unit, faces charges of contact with a foreign agent and attempting to pass information intended to benefit the enemy. According to the Shin Bet and Israel’s Ministry of Defense, he was also allegedly asked to recruit an Israeli soldier to establish contact with Iranian intelligence. The case was filed in the Tel Aviv District Court following a joint investigation.
The Israeli Air Force has officially reopened the 193rd Squadron at Palmachim Airbase after it was disbanded in August 2025. The squadron is now equipped with SH-60F Seahawk helicopters and will work closely with the Israeli Navy’s Missile Boat Flotilla on maritime missions. These include protecting Israel’s strategic assets, securing freedom of navigation, supporting ground forces, and providing naval fire support. The IDF said the unit strengthens Israel’s air-sea capabilities and expands its operational reach in the maritime domain. A reactivation ceremony was held at the base following the arrival of the new helicopters.
Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza overseeing the postwar transition under the Board of Peace, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a new disarmament agreement the board reached with Hamas. The Board of Peace described the talks with Netanyahu and his team as constructive and detailed. “The goal is clear and is not in question: the complete decommissioning of weapons in the Strip and the transition away from rule by the gun to civilian governance,” the board stated. The discussions form part of efforts to advance the broader framework for demilitarizing Gaza and shifting to civilian administration. Mladenov’s team has been engaging both sides on implementation details, including verification mechanisms.
Israeli exports reached an all-time high of $169 billion, surpassing both the government’s $165 billion forecast and the previous record of roughly $166 billion set in 2022. Official figures from the Foreign Trade Administration showed that the increase occurred despite geopolitical challenges, boycotts by several countries, shipping disruptions, and wartime pressures. High-tech sectors, particularly software and research and development, drove the surge and offset weaker results in traditional industries. Israel expanded its presence in fast-growing Asian markets, including India, Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, helping compensate for declines in some European destinations.
The remains of Shimon (Leib) and Rebecca Herzl, the grandparents of Theodor Herzl, the visionary of the Jewish state, were removed from the Jewish cemetery in Belgrade for transfer to Israel. The exhumation took place under local religious and legal requirements, with the participation of the World Zionist Organization, Israel’s Foreign Ministry, and ZAKA. The couple will be reburied next to their grandson’s grave on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. The ceremony is scheduled for August 5, marking exactly 77 years after Herzl himself was reinterred there in 1949. Shimon Herzl had been a Jewish community leader in the Belgrade area and was associated with early Zionist ideas. Organizers described the transfer as closing a historic circle by reuniting the family in Israel.
World
More than 12 Sifrei Torah were stolen from the Grand Synagogue of Levallois-Perret, an affluent suburb northwest of Paris, in what local Jewish leaders and officials described as an antisemitic attack. The burglary took place overnight, with two suspects reportedly entering the building through a window using a rope. The Torahs were taken while other items were left untouched. Rabbi Chalom Lellouche discovered the theft and alerted authorities, calling it both a criminal and antisemitic act that specifically targeted the Torah. Police are investigating the professional-style break-in, which bypassed security systems.
A Jewish group in Belgium has sued the country’s government and national rail operator, SNCB, over Holocaust-era collaboration with Nazi authorities. The Nico Gunzburg Foundation filed the legal action regarding the railway’s role in facilitating deportations during the Second World War. The suit specifically cites 28 trains that departed from the Dossin Barracks in Mechelen between August 1942 and July 1944, most of which were bound directly for Auschwitz. Those transports carried roughly 25,000 Jews, only a small number of whom survived. Historical research cited by the foundation indicates that SNCB received payment for its cooperation, and the Belgian state is named as a defendant due to its shareholding in the company. The foundation seeks both financial compensation and formal acknowledgment of responsibility.
A statue of the Rambam was defaced with swastika graffiti in the Spanish city of Córdoba. The vandalism was discovered on the base of the bronze statue in Tiberiades Plaza, located in the city’s historic Jewish Quarter. Local officials condemned the act as an attack on the city’s heritage and a message of hate. Municipal workers temporarily covered the graffiti while specialists began carefully removing the paint to avoid damaging the monument. Spain’s National Police opened an investigation into the incident. The statue, erected in 1964, commemorates the Rambam, who was born in Córdoba.
Ceuta has declared an absolute humanitarian and social emergency after a surge of migrants swimming across from Morocco overwhelmed local facilities in recent days. The local leader urged the central government in Madrid to declare a national emergency and deploy the military to help secure the border. Spain’s Guardia Civil reported that groups of migrants overwhelmed police lines at the breakwater and entered the enclave en masse. The Spanish government rejected calls for a national emergency declaration, stating that migration pressure falls outside the scope of the Civil Protection Law, while noting continued cooperation with Moroccan authorities.a
