Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran - What you need to know

Ominous headlines about the Israel-Hamas war, antisemitic condemnations from world leaders and South Africa’s outrageous genocide allegations before the International Court of Justice could easily lead one to believe that Israel is isolated on the world stage.

We have a national antisemitism crisis, and it affects Jews every day — on the streets, at school, at work, online and everywhere in between.

Hezbollah’s arsenal of weapons poses a direct threat to Israeli cities, strategic sites, and civilian population centers and could be activated by the Iran-backed terror group at any time.

The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, released in May 2023, can't be seen as just a list of suggestions. These are requirements that must be urgently followed through and built upon.

Yoni Diller arrived at the Supernova Music Festival just hours before Hamas terrorists launched their attack on Israel. Having survived this harrowing experience, Yoni is now traveling the world to share his story.

And if Israel was truly a settler-colonialist state dominated by white Europeans, that would make it hard to explain how 21% of Israelis are Palestinian Arabs, who have the same rights and responsibilities as Jewish Israelis. That includes serving in the military, the Knesset, and Israel’s Supreme Court. But that is yet another inconvenient truth for those who hated Israel even before Hamas went on its spree of murder, rape and kidnapping.

Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, spoke with India Today on how Iran’s extensive terror network threatens India, the entire region, and the world. Isaacson also discusses the importance of Israel defending itself and defeating Hamas.

Here’s a primer on more than a dozen proxy terror groups that have taken their orders from the Iranian regime, threatening civilian lives around the world.

“There will be no one left behind. We’re going to bring back for the women and the men, the young and the old, the civilians and the soldiers.”

The Israeli motto of the moment is #BringThemHomeNow, translated to or from the Hebrew, “Machzirim otam ha-bye’tah akhshav.” But the Hebrew and English are not exactly the same, and the difference is instructive.
The English, perhaps a call to the world, is a demand of others: do whatever you – diverse government, civic, and faith leaders, influencers - can do to bring the hostages home. But the Hebrew is more profound – it actually means, “We are bringing them home now.”

These four lies have spread like wildfire. The horrific results for Jewish communities around the world are there for all to see.

Since the horrific attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, journalists, pundits and some national leaders have pointed out, almost in passing, that Hamas is supported by Iran. Despite this fact, Iran seems to have escaped serious scrutiny and any measure of responsibility for the ongoing terror it has unleashed in Israel, Gaza and the region. That needs to change; Iran must be held accountable.

Although the October 7 Hamas massacre produced unprecedented devastation in Israel, it also gave rise to modern-day Maccabees. As we usher in Hanukkah at the darkest hour in recent memory for all of world Jewry, we recognize the courage of the following eight individuals — one for each night of Hanukkah. Some of them made the ultimate sacrifice. Others have survived against the greatest of odds. All of them are showing us the light.

Following Hamas’ October 7 massacre of Israelis, Jews around the world have experienced a surge of antisemitism. We checked in with some of AJC’s global experts to understand what efforts are underway to protect Jews and counter this hate.

Gain a deeper understanding of antisemitic terms and harmful slogans, dispel misinformation and common myths, and unpack Hamas, a perpetrator of terror calling for the death of all Israelis.

Learn about the violent history behind the phrase “Globalize the Intifada,” and how it is being used today by people rallying in support of Palestinians for widespread violence against Jews in Israel and across the globe.

Here are five reasons why the use of the term genocide -- which has come up Macklemore’s "Hinds Hall" song-- in Israel's self-defense campaign is inaccurate, misleading, and dangerous.

An agreement between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas was reached on November 21 for the release of 50 Israeli hostages, who are among the over 200 taken by the terror group during the October 7 attack on Israel. While many have welcomed the deal, including AJC, it is important to make a clear distinction between the groups of people being exchanged.

On October 7th, Hamas killed, raped, tortured, and kidnapped Israeli civilians, including women and children. They take innocent Palestinians as human shields and prevent them from fleeing the combat zone. Hamas indiscriminately shoots rockets at Israeli civilian centers. All of these are clear war crimes and morally abhorrent acts and call into question how the international community could expect Hamas to adhere to a ceasefire.

After Hamas fired rockets and invaded southern Israel, some commenters have deliberately spread falsehoods about Israel’s actions and intentions, and others have criticized them in ways that reflect a misunderstanding of Israel’s legal obligations. Join American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Matthew Waxman, adjunct senior fellow for law and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Liviu Librescu Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, to unpack these difficult issues.