Intermountain Jewish News

National

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference on Coney Island, Feb. 15, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
National

New York rabbis tell Mamdani: ‘This is not going well’

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with a group of rabbis on Aug. 10 for roughly an hour.The rabbis’ report on the meeting differed greatly from the report of the executive director of Mamdani’s office to combat anti-Semitism, Phylissa Wisdom.

JTA
A tale of two Harvards: Then Harvard President Claudine Gay attends a Chanukah menorah lighting ceremony, Dec. 13, 2023 (left); a February, 2024 Instagram repost by Harvard Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, since deleted, showing a cartoon with anti-Semitic imagery (right). (Getty Images via JTA)
National

Trump v. Harvard; case is tossed

A federal judge threw out the Trump administration’s lawsuit that accused Harvard University of having “turned a blind eye” to Jewish and Israeli students.

Andrew Lapin, JTA
Agri-Star, the largest kosher slaughterhouse in the US, recently caught fire.
National

Fire at Iowa meat plant — Kosher meat supply cut

A major fire at Agri-Star, one of the largest kosher meat processing plants in the US is poised to increase the price of kosher meat ahead of the High Holidays, in addition to devastating the plant’s local community.

JTA
Vice President JD Vance at a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2026. (Mehmet Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images)
National

Jewish GOP sours on Vance, looks to Rubio

Vice President JD Vance has lost the confidence of many Jewish Republicans, who have taken issue with his rep- rimanding Israeli officials, indulgence of anti-Israel stances and silence on Tucker Carlson, the prominent pundit who has turned against Israel.

JTA
A screenshot from the AIPAC contribution page taken July 20, 2026, following the failed Massie amendment in the House, denying aid to Israel. Contributions to Reps. Pettersen and Neguse, who voted with Massie, are not active.
Local

Colorado Democratic Reps. vote no on aid to Israel

To the dismay and disappointment of many in the local Jewish and pro-Israel community, the Colorado Democrats who represent the state in the US House of Representatives voted to block some $3 billion in funding to Israel. The so-called “Massie amendment” to the national security appropriations act, introduced by Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, failed 314 to 104.

IJN Staff
From left: New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries; Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Luke Johnson/Getty Images)
National

Majority of House Democrats vote no on aid to Israel

A majority of House Democrats, including all Colorado Democrats in the House, voting on July 22 backed Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment to cut military aid to Israel. The amendment was soundly defeated after getting no support from Republicans with the exception of its sponsor, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has made his disagreement with his party on Israel a signature issue.

JTA
Graham Platner speaks at his primary election event, June 9, 2026, Blue Hill, Maine. (CJ Gunther/Getty Images)
National

The man with the Totenkopf tattoo — why did it take so long?

Why did it take sexual assault allegations to collapse Graham Platner’s Maine Senate campaign when the Nazi-linked tattoo was there all along — for 18 years? Posted CEO of the ADL, Jonathan Greenblatt, on X: “Leaders should not have needed another scandal to act. The Nazi tattoo should have been enough.”

JTA
Senator Lindsey Graham speaks to reporters at the US Capitol, March 3, 2026. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
National

Sen. Lindsey Graham, last of ‘Three Amigos,’ mourned

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina who was one of Israel’s staunchest supporters in Congress, died suddenly at 71 on July 11. Graham had returned from Ukraine, where he met with Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky, the day before. Last month, Graham won the Republican primary in South Carolina, positioning him for a fifth Senate term in November.

Ron Kampeas, JTA
Graham Platner speaks at his primary election event, June 9, 2026, Blue Hill, Maine. (CJ Gunther/Getty Images)
National

The man with the Nazi tattoo

Graham Platner, the anti-Israel progressive with a covered-over Nazi tattoo who took Maine’s political establishment by storm, is under intense pressure to suspend his campaign for US Senate amid allegations of sexual assault.

JTA
A close-up view of the real-time dashboard at the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate command center in Foxborough, Mass. (Jackie Hajdenberg)
National

Anti-Semitism watch — underneath Gillette Stadium

For the past five years, a specialty “command center” that researches anti-Semitism has been operating inside the New England Patriots’ home stadium in this Boston suburb — and tracked a rise in Hitler glorification since last February.

Jackie Hajdenberg, JTA
Vice President JD Vance at a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2026. (Mehmet Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Israel

In wake of Iran deal, Vance has harsh words for Israel

Israeli critics of the Iran deal should be wary of alienating President Donald Trump, particularly given their country’s dependency on US military aid, Vice President JD Vance told reporters on June 18. “Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,” Vance said.

JTA
Justin Gaethje and FBI Director Kash Patel shake hands during the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn of the White House, June 14, 2026. (Michelle Farsi/Zuffa LLC)
National

FBI arrests five in massive plot to attack White House

FBI director Kash Patel announced on Tuesday, June 16, that the FBI disrupted a plot to use explosive-laden drones to attack the June 14 martial arts UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House and to target politicians who received donations from AIPAC.

JNS