LIVE DEVELOPMENTS — updated Friday, February 20, 2026  

Rafah Fighting Drew 100 Times More Media Attention Than Iran Protests, Study Shows

TRUSTED ANALYSIS

Day 868 — Friday, February 20

Media coverage and demonstrations related to the IDF’s entry into Rafah received approximately 100 times more attention than those addressing the Iranian protests, a Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) study released Thursday revealed.

The study examined the disparity between the global response to the scale of violence during the protests in Iran and the response to the Israel-Hamas war, particularly the IDF’s entry into Rafah, and was conducted by the Glazer Information Center at JPPI, with Shlomi Berznick, Eli Kanai, and Yaakov Katz serving as the responsible researchers.

JPPI President Prof. Yedidia Stern said the research aimed primarily to demonstrate that when Israel conducts a “defensive war against armed terrorist organizations that attacked it, it is judged harshly.”

By contrast, Stern noted that when the Islamic regime “massacred its own citizens, who are defenseless,” the response from the international community was relatively modest.

Among its findings, the JPPI study highlighted significant gaps in both the volume of international media coverage and the number of protests held in the United States surrounding each issue.

As part of the analysis, the number of protests in the United States related to Israel’s entry into Rafah was compared with protests addressing the suppression of demonstrations in Tehran. These figures were then cross-referenced with the volume of international media coverage in leading outlets focused on both events.

To ensure comparability, the researchers used two identical 22-day time windows. The analysis revealed substantially greater traction surrounding the Rafah case, a trend linked in part to the social media campaign “All Eyes on Rafah.” This period also coincided with a wave of protests on US college campuses.

To analyze protest activity, the study relied on the Crowd Counting Consortium, the largest database documenting protests in the United States, including their locations, organizers, and central messages.

The findings showed that only 25 protests were held in the United States during the period of the Iranian protest crackdown. In addition, not all of these demonstrations expressed solidarity with the Iranian protesters, with some instead calling for avoiding American involvement in the unfolding violence.

In contrast, during the Israel-Hamas war, 476 protests against Israel were held, along with 2,120 protests in the United States during the 22-day period examined around the IDF’s entry into Rafah.

The JPPI study also examined the involvement of human rights organizations and women’s groups in both contexts. The data showed that during the Iranian demonstrations, organizations that led protests against Israel were absent from expressions of solidarity with the Iranian protesters.

Among the organizations examined were Codepink, Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War, and Geneva Women’s Assembly.

To assess media coverage, JPPI used the Lexis-Nexis database to review reporting in major international outlets, including Al Jazeera (English), CNN, CBC, NPR, Sky News, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Axios, Politico, the Times of India, the Irish Times, Time, and the Daily Telegraph.

The resulting data showed that, during the period of the IDF’s entry into Rafah, the coverage of the Palestinian issue was nearly twice as extensive as coverage of the Iranian protests during their violent suppression.

According to the authors of the JPPI study, conflicts involving Israel receive a particularly high level of attention, which may at times be disproportionate when compared with more severe events elsewhere. The researchers concluded that these findings point to a clear bias in the international discourse surrounding Israel.

Jerusalem Post

Day 868 — Friday, February 20

An annual festival in Andorra drew condemnation from the country’s small Jewish community after an effigy bearing the Israeli flag was staged in a mock trial and then hung and shot.

The incident was part of the traditional Catalan festival Carnestoltes, which occurs yearly before Lent, the 40-day period that precedes Easter. At Monday’s festival in Andorra, where a mock king is typically tried and burned, organizers instead used an effigy wearing blue with the Israeli flag painted on its face.

During the festivities, the Israeli effigy was symbolically tried, hung, shot and burned, according to social media posts and a Ynet report.

The incident drew outcry from the microstate’s tiny Jewish community, which only just got its first full-time rabbi, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary, in the last two years.

“This is a ritual they perform every year as part of carnival, where they mock many things,” Jewish Andorra resident Esther Pujol told Ynet. “This time they dressed the effigy in the colors of the Israeli flag, with a Star of David on its face. They put it on trial, sentenced it to death and carried out the sentence by shooting and burning it. It is completely unacceptable.”

Pujol told the outlet that it was the first time she had seen the festival include anti-Israel or antisemitic elements, and that she had contacted Andorran lawmakers to express her outrage. The mayor of Encamp, the city where the incident took place, and local politicians took part in the ceremony, according to Ynet.

The European Jewish Congress also decried the display in a post on X, writing that the mock-execution was a “deeply disturbing act that risks normalizing antisemitism and incitement.”

“This incident requires unequivocal condemnation, full clarification of responsibilities and concrete measures to ensure that antisemitism is never tolerated in public celebrations or institutions in Andorra or anywhere in Europe,” the post continued.

Other Lent festivities have also been the site of antisemitism in recent years, with Belgian celebrations in 2019 featuring antisemitic caricatures and a Spanish parade in 2020 featuring a Holocaust-themed display.

The incident marks a rare instance of open turmoil for Jews in Andorra, which is nestled between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. While France and Spain have seen widespread pro-Palestinian protests and antisemitic incidents in recent years, Andorra has largely avoided similar tensions.

In September, Andorra formally announced its recognition of Palestinian statehood alongside a host of other European nations during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

But local Jews have also sought to remain under the radar, considering that Andorra officially prohibits non-Catholic houses of worship. The Jewish community calls their gathering place a community center rather than a synagogue. In 2023, Andorra’s parliament elected a Jewish lawmaker for the first time.

Arutz Sheva

Day 867 — Thursday, February 19

Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News anchor who has drawn flak for his ferocious anti-Israel activism in recent months, added more controversy on Wednesday by claiming Israeli officials detained him before his departure, which the Airport Authority and the U.S. embassy denied.

Carlson spent only several hours on Israeli soil to interview U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, whom he has often singled out for criticism. Media outlets reported that the conversation, which hasn’t been released yet, focused on Carlson’s false claims regarding the treatment of Christians in Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The visit followed a public exchange of blows between Carlson and Huckabee, after Carlson published an interview with Arab Christians titled “Christian Persecution,” which was filmed in Jordan, and harshly criticized its alleged maltreatment of Christians, as well as its ostensible defenders, like Huckabee.

Carlson refused to leave Ben Gurion Airport, conducting the interview on airport grounds before claiming he was detained and questioned ahead of his departure.

Carlson told the Daily Mail that his passport was confiscated by Israeli officials following the sit-down with Huckabee. “Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Carlson told the British newspaper. 

“It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country,” he added. After landing, Carlson had published a picture of himself and his business partner, Neil Patel, in front of Israeli flags with the caption: “Greetings from Israel.”

Several people on 𝕏 pointed out that the picture was taken in the airport’s area for private jets. “Tucker flew private into the VIP terminal where, yes, they take your passport and do all of the passport control stuff for you and you can go get a drink at the bar. I know this not bc I have ever flown private, but because I have interviewed foreign dignitaries there,” commented Lahav Harkov, Senior Political Correspondent at the Jewish Insider.

The Airport Authority and the U.S. Embassy strongly denied Carlson’s claims of mistreatment, noting that this was standard procedure.

“Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated,” the Israel Airport Authority said in a statement.

“Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers. The conversation took place in a separate room within the VIP lounge solely to protect their privacy and to avoid conducting such a discussion in public. No unusual incident occurred, and the Israel Airports Authority firmly rejects any other claims.”

A spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Israel affirmed that Carlson “received the same passport control questions that countless visitors to Israel, including Ambassador Huckabee and other diplomats, receive as part of normal entrance and exit from Israel.”

“It is not accurate that Israel was only going to let Tucker into the country for the interview,” he added. 

“The only engagement the Embassy had with Israel about his visit was to coordinate his private plane landing as part of facilitating a seamless visit. It was Tucker who chose to only come into the country for a few hours and depart. And Tucker received the same positive treatment of any visitors to Israel.”

“EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions. Even ME going in/out with Diplomatic Passport & Diplomatic Visa,” Huckabee later noted on 𝕏.

Former U.S. Ambassador David Friedman commented, “Too bad Tucker stayed in the airport in the face of so many invitations to see so many wonderful places. A huge and obviously intentional missed opportunity.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 867 — Thursday, February 19

A debate sparked between Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper during a UN Security Council session on the Middle East on Wednesday night. 

The confrontation began when Cooper criticized the Jewish people’s right to their land and questioned the decisions made by Israel’s cabinet in her open remarks.

The UN session, called by the UK as part of its presidency of the Security Council, saw escalating tensions as Cooper attacked Israeli policies in [Judea and Samariah].

Sa’ar responded to Cooper’s claims by paying honour to Britain’s long-standing support for the State of Israel, referencing pivotal moments such as the Balfour Declaration, Winston Churchill’s visit, and the Commonwealth’s role in supporting the establishment of a Jewish state.

He addressed Cooper directly, saying, “In 1917, the British government published the historic Balfour Declaration to establish a national home for the Jewish people in our land.”

Sa’ar continued by citing Winston Churchill’s 1921 visit to Israel, reinforcing the claim that Jews deserve a national home.

“Where else could it be but this land, with which for over 3,000 years they have been intimately and profoundly associated?” he echoed Churchill’s question.

He posed another pointed question to the British representative: “In 1922, the predecessor of the UN, the Commonwealth Council, tasked Britain with re-establishing a Jewish national home. Madam President, what have you left of the lofty and historical tradition of Balfour and Churchill?”

Following the debate, Sa’ar condemned Cooper’s arguments, labeling them part of a “hypocritical obsession against Jewish presence in the heart of our tiny land.”

He contended, “The claim that Israelis cannot live in Judea and Samaria (The West Bank) isn’t just inconsistent with international law and Britain’s own Balfour Declaration, but it is also morally distorted. How can Jews live in London, Paris, or New York, but not in the cradle of our civilization?”

The tensions in the room escalated further when Sa’ar addressed the Russian ambassador to the UN, saying, “It was amusing to hear the representative of the Russian Federation talk about law, international law, occupation, land expansion, and peaceful resolutions.

“I must admit, I had to restrain myself from laughing out loud,” he said. 

Jerusalem POst

Day 866 — Wednesday, February 18

A Hamas-linked organization, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, is training Gazans to edit Wikipedia pages about the Israel-Hamas war as part of its “WikiRights” program.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor announced last week the launch of the third edition of the WikiRights project in the Gaza Strip, which targets 12 young Palestinian men and women and provides them with “in-depth training in human rights research and documentation, as well as professional editing on Wikipedia.”

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor launched the WikiRights project in 2015 to “record victims’ stories alongside official narratives.”

The training covers creating, developing, and updating content, and involves using editing and contribution tools in both Arabic and English.

Euro-Med claims to want to help participants to produce reliable content and address knowledge gaps concerning human rights violations in Palestine, “at a time when online platforms often disseminate false information about victims of armed conflicts.”

Euro-Med, however, has ties to Hamas. Its current and former Board Chairs (Mazen Kahel and Ramy Abdu) appear on a 2013 list, published by Israel, of Hamas’ “main operatives and institutions” in Europe.

Abdu, the founder of Euro-Med, has also been involved with organizations like the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza (ECESG) and the Council for European Palestinian Relations (CEPR), which too have been linked to Hamas.

The Israeli government imposed sanctions on him under its anti-terrorism law in 2020.

According to NGO Monitor, Euro-Med has been active in disseminating blood libels and conspiracy theories about Israel, and accuses Israel of “apartheid,” genocide,” “ethnic cleansing,” “collective punishment,” and “war crimes.”

Its staff has expressed support for Hamas or Hamas figures.

Jerusalem POst

Day 865 — Tuesday, February 17

Iran launched live-fire naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday in preparation for potential security and military threats in the strategic waterway, according to the country’s state-run IRNA news agency.

The drill, called “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz,” was led by the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the supervision of IRGC Commander in Chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, according to Iran International.

State media said the exercise was organized to assess the readiness of operational units, review security plans and rehearse scenarios for responding to any security and military threats in the area.

The exercises came within hours of renewed diplomatic efforts starting in Geneva between the U.S. and Iran that are aimed at reviving negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X on Monday “What is not on the table: submission before threats,” he said.

President Donald Trump has ordered a buildup of U.S. military forces in the Middle East and has threatened to strike Iran if its leadership does not agree to a deal on its nuclear program.

On Friday, Trump also offered an endorsement of regime change in Tehran and said it would be the “best thing that could happen” for Iran.

U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, went on to show U.S. military presence in the region Monday.

In a post on X, it shared images of EA-18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 133 and F-35C Lightning IIs from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 preparing for launch from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

“Operating in international waters in the Middle East, the aircraft carrier conducts around-the-clock flight operations in support of regional security,” the post said.

The Pentagon has been building up what Trump has described as an “armada” in the region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is present flanked by three warships equipped with Tomahawk missiles and is at the center of a broader U.S. naval buildup in the region.

Meanwhile, Tehran said the second round of talks would be held on Tuesday “with the mediation and good offices of Oman.”

Negotiations restarted in Muscat on Feb. 6, after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran in June that sparked a 12-day war and escalated tensions across the region.

On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said there was “significant and legitimate doubt that the Iranians will ever agree to something that would cause them to lay down any ambitions of nuclear weaponry.”

Trump also told reporters Monday, “I’ll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they’ll be very important, and we’ll see what can happen.” 

He added, “I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B2’s to knock out their nuclear potential. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal.”

fox news

Day 865 — Tuesday, February 17

The Hamas terrorist organization used a sequence of emojis as a code name for launching the Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border massacre, the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Censor allowed for publication on Monday.

According to Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster, the emoticons were found on phones belonging to operatives of Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force that spearheaded the deadliest single-day slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

The IDF concluded that the same sequence of emojis had been used ahead of two failed large-scale attacks by the Islamist terrorist group in September 2022 and April 2023, Channel 12 reported.

The emojis signaled to the Nukhba terrorists to switch to Israeli SIM cards ahead of the invasion, according to the Ynet site.

At 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 7, Israeli intelligence noticed that dozens of Israeli SIM cards were activated in Gaza, but the activity was disregarded by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), local media reported last year.

It was not the first such activation. One took place the previous night, on Friday evening at around 9 o’clock. (By Wednesday, Oct. 5, some 45 communication devices of Gaza terrorists had also been activated.)

An intelligence summary by the Shin Bet southern region sent to a group of intelligence and political officials dismissed the activity.

“Today and yesterday, there were SIMs in certain areas of Gaza. This is not unusual, since similar tests were carried out by Hamas last year as well,” the summary reportedly stated.

“According to the division and the command [leadership], Hamas has not changed its routine. The information is preliminary and there are routine activities in Hamas. A discussion on the matter will be held by the [IDF] Southern Command Intelligence Officer at 08:30 and by the Southern Command heads at 10:00,” the Shin Bet added.

The anomaly was detected some three hours and 45 minutes before thousands of Gazan terrorists stormed the security fence and murdered around 1,200 people, wounded thousands of others and took 251 hostages.

JNS

Day 864 — Monday, February 16

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday reiterated his doubts regarding the possibility of any deal with Iran, which he said must include the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and not just stopping uranium enrichment.

His comments came ahead of a second round of U.S.-Iranian talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday, and amid a major American military buildup in the region which is still underway.

“I will not hide from you that I express my skepticism of any deal with Iran, because, frankly, Iran is reliable on one thing: they lie, and they cheat,” Netanyahu said in a keynote speech to the annual gathering of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem.

In his first public address after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week, the Israeli leader said that any agreement must remove all enriched nuclear material from Iran, dismantle its enrichment infrastructure, curb its ballistic missile program and dismantle the axis of terror that Tehran has built across the region.

“There shall be no enrichment capability—not stopping the enrichment process, but dismantling the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place,” he said.

Paraphrasing Ronald Reagan’s “trust but verify” dictum regarding the Soviet Union, he advised Trump: “Distrust. Distrust, and always verify.”

JNS

Day 864 — Monday, February 16

Britain’s High Court has used the ECHR to rule against the government’s declaration of a left-wing direct action group that targets defence firms selling equipment to Israel as a terrorist organisation, forcing police to suspend arrests of supporters.

Palestine Action, a group connected to factory-smashing raids and other acts of vandalism has committed acts of terrorism and its methods are “inconsistent with the hallmarks of civil disobedience”, but it hasn’t committed enough acts of terrorism or been terroristic persistently enough to make its designation as a terrorist group a proportionate response, Britain’s High Court ruled on Friday.

Despite the ruling, supporting Palestine Action remains illegal for now as the court said it was suspending changes pending the appeals process, the government having already confirmed it intended to challenge the decision. Nevertheless the police said they had immediately ended arrests of people professing support for Palestine Action. Instead, officers will “gather evidence” until the appeals process is over and a final decision is taken on whether the group was right to be banned or not.

In reaching the verdict, the bench of three senior judges found that “Palestine Action has undertaken activities amounting to terrorism”, but only a “very small number” of their actions qualified, and for those cases it would be more proportionate for the government to prosecute using criminal law. Citing the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the court said the ban breached rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly for protesters who passively supported Palestine Action, even if its most dedicated members did engage in terrorism.

The court rejected other grounds, however, and found the original decision to ban Palestine Action by the government wasn’t motivated by racial or national discrimination, as the claimant had asserted.

The British Board of Deputies, which represents British Jews, replied with alarm to the ruling, asserting that Palestine Action had been hostile towards Jewish sites before the ban took force last year. They said in a statement: “We are deeply concerned by today’s High Court decision to find against the Government’s proscription of Palestine Action… Palestine Action has repeatedly targeted buildings hosting Jewish communal institutions, Jewish-owned businesses, or sites associated with Israel, in ways that cause fear and disruption far beyond the immediate protest sites… We will seek urgent clarity from the Government, police forces and the CPS regarding the implications Of this ruling and the steps they intend to take to ensure that communities are protected from intimidation and criminality.”

Brexit pioneer and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage linked the ruling to Britain’s problem with two-tier justice, which according to critics sees separate legal standards applied to groups depending on their racial or political characteristics. He said: “Yet another example of how, in Britain today, if you’re a left-wing group that hates our country, attacks our police officers, and damages our armed forces, you can break the law and get away with it.”

Breitbart

Day 863 — Sunday, February 15

In December, when two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more, Israel’s message to the global Jewish community was clear.

“Today, Jews are being hunted across the world,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in the aftermath of the massacre, calling on Jews in Australia, Britain, France, Canada, and Belgium to “come home” to Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the sentiment, urging Western governments to do more to protect Jewish citizens, while framing Israel as the only place where Jews could truly be safe.

Now the government appears to be backing up the words with action.

According to the Hebrew newspaper Makor Rishon, officials have begun advancing an emergency immigration plan called Aliyat HaTekuma, designed to fast-track the immigration process for those coming from countries experiencing a surge in antisemitism.

With a target of absorbing 30,000 new immigrants in 2026, the proposal promises shorter waiting times, financial support, employment placement, and housing assistance in designated cities.

Jerusalem Post

Day 862 — Saturday, February 14

US President Donald Trump was asked on Friday about a potential regime change in Iran and said, “Seems like that could be the best thing that could happen.”

Speaking to reporters upon returning from Fort Bragg, Trump was asked what the people of Iran could do to avoid a US attack and replied, “They give us the deal that they should have given us the first time. If they give us the right deal, we won’t do that. But, you know, historically, they haven’t done that. I will say they want to talk, but so far they do a lot of talking and no action.”

A reporter then asked the President if he would like to see a regime change in Iran and he responded, “Well, it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen. For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk, legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off…tt’s been going on for a long time, so let’s see what happens. In the meantime, tremendous power has arrived, and additional power, as you know, and other carriers going out shortly. If we could get it settled for once and for all, that would be good.”

Earlier in the day, Trump was asked by reporters about his decision to deploy the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to the Middle East, in addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln which is already in the region.

The aircraft carrier was sent “in case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it. If we don’t have a deal, we’ll need it. We have one out there that just arrived. If we need it, we have it ready. A big, a very big force,” said Trump.

Asked how confident he is that the negotiations with Iran will be successful, the President replied, “I think they’ll be successful, and if they’re not, it’s going to be a bad day for Iran, very bad.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 861 — Friday, February 13

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas ordered the publication of the draft constitution for a Palestinian state earlier this week, the PA’s official news agency WAFA announced.

The full draft of the constitution, read by The Jerusalem Post, omitted Jewish ties to Jerusalem in Article III, claiming it as the “capital of the State of Palestine, and its political, spiritual, cultural, and educational center, as well as its national symbol,” and committed to “preserving its religious character and protecting its Islamic and Christian sanctuaries.”

The same article called on the state to commit to protecting Jerusalem’s “legal, political, and historical status,” and affirmed that “any measures to change its character or historical identity are considered null and void according to international law.”

Additionally, Article IV designated the official religion of a Palestinian state as Islam, with Islamic Sharia principles to be the “primary source for legislation,” while also protecting Christianity as having a special status, with designated rights.

The president must also “swear by God Almighty” when entering office, per Article LXXVI, and Article CXXXII called for Sharia disputes to be handled by Sharia and religious courts.

While Article XXVII called for equality without discrimination based on personal aspects, including religion, and Article XXXVII affirmed “freedom of belief and to practice religious rites, establishing places of worship for followers of monotheistic religions,” there is no mention of Judaism or Jewish people in any article of the constitution.

Further, Article I affirmed Palestine as “part of the Arab homeland,” and notes that the “Palestinian people are part of the Arab nation.”

Meanwhile, Article XI reaffirmed the Palestine Liberation Organization as the “sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people” – a status it has claimed since its founding by Yasser Arafat.

Article XXIV described how the state would “work to provide protection and care for the families of martyrs, wounded, and prisoners, and those released from the occupation prisons and the victims of genocide.”

This article is drafted into the constitution, appearing to formalize the continuation of the PA’s controversial “pay-for-slay” policy, which provides financial stipends to families of convicted terrorists and terror suspects.

The article also calls to “pursue the perpetrators of these crimes before the judiciary.”

Article XLIV furthered this by calling for the “provision of comprehensive care for the families of the martyrs, wounded, and prisoners, and those released [from prison], in preservation of their national dignity and their humanitarian and living needs.”

Jerusalem Post

Day 861 — Friday, February 13

Colleges and universities in the United States have received over $1.1 billion in funding from Qatar and more than $285 million from Saudi Arabia, according to data for 2025 released by the U.S. Department of Education.

In total, U.S. colleges and universities received $5.2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts in 2025, the Department of Education revealed on Wednesday citing data its new online portal, which went live in early 2025 and was designed to increase transparency regarding foreign funding of U.S. higher education. 

The Department of Education documented over 8,300 transactions on the portal, with Qatar topping the list of foreign funding by countries in 2025, with over $1.1 billion, followed by the United Kingdom at $633 million, and China at $528 million. Switzerland ($451 million) and Japan ($374 million) were the next largest donors.

China and Qatar have in recent years drawn scrutiny over claims that they use funding and donations to higher education institutions to influence public perceptions of their countries. Overall, about $67.6 billion in foreign funding to U.S. colleges and universities has been reported since disclosure became legally required in 1986, though much of that funding has been disclosed only since 2019.

When examining the data, Qatar leads the list of nation, having donated $7.7 billion, followed by China with $6.4 billion, Germany with $4.7 billion, England with $4.3 billion, and Saudi Arabia with $4.2 billion. 

Linda McMahon, the U.S. secretary of education, said the new portal offers “unprecedented visibility into the foreign dollars flowing into our colleges and universities.” 

“Thanks to the Trump administration’s new accountability portal, the American people have unprecedented visibility into the foreign dollars flowing into our colleges and universities – including funding from countries and entities that are involved in activities that threaten America’s national security,” McMahon said in a statement. 

“This marks a new era of transparency for the American people and streamlined compliance for colleges and universities, making it easier than ever for institutions to meet their legal obligations.”

McMahon said the new portal is important for both academic integrity and national security. 

“This transparency is essential not only to preserving the integrity of academic research but also to ensure the security and resilience of our nation,” she stated. 

Cornell University, which saw several anti-Israel protests during the two-year Gaza war, received the largest amount of Qatari funding overall ($2.3 billion), followed by Carnegie Mellon University with $2 billion.

The large amount of funding by Qatar has raised concern among Israel’s supporters, as many of the schools that received the funding also hosted anti-Israel demonstrations over the past two years. The Trump administration even initiated lawsuits against several of the schools, or canceled federal funding. 

The Trump administration also initiated lawsuits against several schools and moved to cancel federal funding

In a press statement, the Department of Education said Harvard University has received more funding from entities in “countries of concern” since 1986 than any other institution. Both Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley are the subject of ongoing federal probes launched after President Trump began his second term, over alleged failures to disclose foreign donations.

Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which was added in 1986, requires universities that receive federal funding to disclose any funding by a foreign entity, whether gifts or contracts, totaling more than $250,000 per year. The government has previously alleged that universities have not disclosed the full extent of their foreign funding, which is supported by research showing that over the past decade, about100 U.S. colleges and universities failed to disclose approximately $13 billion in undocumented contributions from foreign governments. 

All Israel News

Day 868 — Friday, February 20

Media coverage and demonstrations related to the IDF’s entry into Rafah received approximately 100 times more attention than those addressing the Iranian protests, a Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) study released Thursday revealed.

The study examined the disparity between the global response to the scale of violence during the protests in Iran and the response to the Israel-Hamas war, particularly the IDF’s entry into Rafah, and was conducted by the Glazer Information Center at JPPI, with Shlomi Berznick, Eli Kanai, and Yaakov Katz serving as the responsible researchers.

JPPI President Prof. Yedidia Stern said the research aimed primarily to demonstrate that when Israel conducts a “defensive war against armed terrorist organizations that attacked it, it is judged harshly.”

By contrast, Stern noted that when the Islamic regime “massacred its own citizens, who are defenseless,” the response from the international community was relatively modest.

Among its findings, the JPPI study highlighted significant gaps in both the volume of international media coverage and the number of protests held in the United States surrounding each issue.

As part of the analysis, the number of protests in the United States related to Israel’s entry into Rafah was compared with protests addressing the suppression of demonstrations in Tehran. These figures were then cross-referenced with the volume of international media coverage in leading outlets focused on both events.

To ensure comparability, the researchers used two identical 22-day time windows. The analysis revealed substantially greater traction surrounding the Rafah case, a trend linked in part to the social media campaign “All Eyes on Rafah.” This period also coincided with a wave of protests on US college campuses.

To analyze protest activity, the study relied on the Crowd Counting Consortium, the largest database documenting protests in the United States, including their locations, organizers, and central messages.

The findings showed that only 25 protests were held in the United States during the period of the Iranian protest crackdown. In addition, not all of these demonstrations expressed solidarity with the Iranian protesters, with some instead calling for avoiding American involvement in the unfolding violence.

In contrast, during the Israel-Hamas war, 476 protests against Israel were held, along with 2,120 protests in the United States during the 22-day period examined around the IDF’s entry into Rafah.

The JPPI study also examined the involvement of human rights organizations and women’s groups in both contexts. The data showed that during the Iranian demonstrations, organizations that led protests against Israel were absent from expressions of solidarity with the Iranian protesters.

Among the organizations examined were Codepink, Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War, and Geneva Women’s Assembly.

To assess media coverage, JPPI used the Lexis-Nexis database to review reporting in major international outlets, including Al Jazeera (English), CNN, CBC, NPR, Sky News, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Axios, Politico, the Times of India, the Irish Times, Time, and the Daily Telegraph.

The resulting data showed that, during the period of the IDF’s entry into Rafah, the coverage of the Palestinian issue was nearly twice as extensive as coverage of the Iranian protests during their violent suppression.

According to the authors of the JPPI study, conflicts involving Israel receive a particularly high level of attention, which may at times be disproportionate when compared with more severe events elsewhere. The researchers concluded that these findings point to a clear bias in the international discourse surrounding Israel.

Jerusalem Post

Day 868 — Friday, February 20

An annual festival in Andorra drew condemnation from the country’s small Jewish community after an effigy bearing the Israeli flag was staged in a mock trial and then hung and shot.

The incident was part of the traditional Catalan festival Carnestoltes, which occurs yearly before Lent, the 40-day period that precedes Easter. At Monday’s festival in Andorra, where a mock king is typically tried and burned, organizers instead used an effigy wearing blue with the Israeli flag painted on its face.

During the festivities, the Israeli effigy was symbolically tried, hung, shot and burned, according to social media posts and a Ynet report.

The incident drew outcry from the microstate’s tiny Jewish community, which only just got its first full-time rabbi, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary, in the last two years.

“This is a ritual they perform every year as part of carnival, where they mock many things,” Jewish Andorra resident Esther Pujol told Ynet. “This time they dressed the effigy in the colors of the Israeli flag, with a Star of David on its face. They put it on trial, sentenced it to death and carried out the sentence by shooting and burning it. It is completely unacceptable.”

Pujol told the outlet that it was the first time she had seen the festival include anti-Israel or antisemitic elements, and that she had contacted Andorran lawmakers to express her outrage. The mayor of Encamp, the city where the incident took place, and local politicians took part in the ceremony, according to Ynet.

The European Jewish Congress also decried the display in a post on X, writing that the mock-execution was a “deeply disturbing act that risks normalizing antisemitism and incitement.”

“This incident requires unequivocal condemnation, full clarification of responsibilities and concrete measures to ensure that antisemitism is never tolerated in public celebrations or institutions in Andorra or anywhere in Europe,” the post continued.

Other Lent festivities have also been the site of antisemitism in recent years, with Belgian celebrations in 2019 featuring antisemitic caricatures and a Spanish parade in 2020 featuring a Holocaust-themed display.

The incident marks a rare instance of open turmoil for Jews in Andorra, which is nestled between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. While France and Spain have seen widespread pro-Palestinian protests and antisemitic incidents in recent years, Andorra has largely avoided similar tensions.

In September, Andorra formally announced its recognition of Palestinian statehood alongside a host of other European nations during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

But local Jews have also sought to remain under the radar, considering that Andorra officially prohibits non-Catholic houses of worship. The Jewish community calls their gathering place a community center rather than a synagogue. In 2023, Andorra’s parliament elected a Jewish lawmaker for the first time.

Arutz Sheva

Day 867 — Thursday, February 19

Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News anchor who has drawn flak for his ferocious anti-Israel activism in recent months, added more controversy on Wednesday by claiming Israeli officials detained him before his departure, which the Airport Authority and the U.S. embassy denied.

Carlson spent only several hours on Israeli soil to interview U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, whom he has often singled out for criticism. Media outlets reported that the conversation, which hasn’t been released yet, focused on Carlson’s false claims regarding the treatment of Christians in Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The visit followed a public exchange of blows between Carlson and Huckabee, after Carlson published an interview with Arab Christians titled “Christian Persecution,” which was filmed in Jordan, and harshly criticized its alleged maltreatment of Christians, as well as its ostensible defenders, like Huckabee.

Carlson refused to leave Ben Gurion Airport, conducting the interview on airport grounds before claiming he was detained and questioned ahead of his departure.

Carlson told the Daily Mail that his passport was confiscated by Israeli officials following the sit-down with Huckabee. “Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Carlson told the British newspaper. 

“It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country,” he added. After landing, Carlson had published a picture of himself and his business partner, Neil Patel, in front of Israeli flags with the caption: “Greetings from Israel.”

Several people on 𝕏 pointed out that the picture was taken in the airport’s area for private jets. “Tucker flew private into the VIP terminal where, yes, they take your passport and do all of the passport control stuff for you and you can go get a drink at the bar. I know this not bc I have ever flown private, but because I have interviewed foreign dignitaries there,” commented Lahav Harkov, Senior Political Correspondent at the Jewish Insider.

The Airport Authority and the U.S. Embassy strongly denied Carlson’s claims of mistreatment, noting that this was standard procedure.

“Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated,” the Israel Airport Authority said in a statement.

“Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers. The conversation took place in a separate room within the VIP lounge solely to protect their privacy and to avoid conducting such a discussion in public. No unusual incident occurred, and the Israel Airports Authority firmly rejects any other claims.”

A spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Israel affirmed that Carlson “received the same passport control questions that countless visitors to Israel, including Ambassador Huckabee and other diplomats, receive as part of normal entrance and exit from Israel.”

“It is not accurate that Israel was only going to let Tucker into the country for the interview,” he added. 

“The only engagement the Embassy had with Israel about his visit was to coordinate his private plane landing as part of facilitating a seamless visit. It was Tucker who chose to only come into the country for a few hours and depart. And Tucker received the same positive treatment of any visitors to Israel.”

“EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions. Even ME going in/out with Diplomatic Passport & Diplomatic Visa,” Huckabee later noted on 𝕏.

Former U.S. Ambassador David Friedman commented, “Too bad Tucker stayed in the airport in the face of so many invitations to see so many wonderful places. A huge and obviously intentional missed opportunity.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 867 — Thursday, February 19

A debate sparked between Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper during a UN Security Council session on the Middle East on Wednesday night. 

The confrontation began when Cooper criticized the Jewish people’s right to their land and questioned the decisions made by Israel’s cabinet in her open remarks.

The UN session, called by the UK as part of its presidency of the Security Council, saw escalating tensions as Cooper attacked Israeli policies in [Judea and Samariah].

Sa’ar responded to Cooper’s claims by paying honour to Britain’s long-standing support for the State of Israel, referencing pivotal moments such as the Balfour Declaration, Winston Churchill’s visit, and the Commonwealth’s role in supporting the establishment of a Jewish state.

He addressed Cooper directly, saying, “In 1917, the British government published the historic Balfour Declaration to establish a national home for the Jewish people in our land.”

Sa’ar continued by citing Winston Churchill’s 1921 visit to Israel, reinforcing the claim that Jews deserve a national home.

“Where else could it be but this land, with which for over 3,000 years they have been intimately and profoundly associated?” he echoed Churchill’s question.

He posed another pointed question to the British representative: “In 1922, the predecessor of the UN, the Commonwealth Council, tasked Britain with re-establishing a Jewish national home. Madam President, what have you left of the lofty and historical tradition of Balfour and Churchill?”

Following the debate, Sa’ar condemned Cooper’s arguments, labeling them part of a “hypocritical obsession against Jewish presence in the heart of our tiny land.”

He contended, “The claim that Israelis cannot live in Judea and Samaria (The West Bank) isn’t just inconsistent with international law and Britain’s own Balfour Declaration, but it is also morally distorted. How can Jews live in London, Paris, or New York, but not in the cradle of our civilization?”

The tensions in the room escalated further when Sa’ar addressed the Russian ambassador to the UN, saying, “It was amusing to hear the representative of the Russian Federation talk about law, international law, occupation, land expansion, and peaceful resolutions.

“I must admit, I had to restrain myself from laughing out loud,” he said. 

Jerusalem POst

Day 866 — Wednesday, February 18

A Hamas-linked organization, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, is training Gazans to edit Wikipedia pages about the Israel-Hamas war as part of its “WikiRights” program.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor announced last week the launch of the third edition of the WikiRights project in the Gaza Strip, which targets 12 young Palestinian men and women and provides them with “in-depth training in human rights research and documentation, as well as professional editing on Wikipedia.”

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor launched the WikiRights project in 2015 to “record victims’ stories alongside official narratives.”

The training covers creating, developing, and updating content, and involves using editing and contribution tools in both Arabic and English.

Euro-Med claims to want to help participants to produce reliable content and address knowledge gaps concerning human rights violations in Palestine, “at a time when online platforms often disseminate false information about victims of armed conflicts.”

Euro-Med, however, has ties to Hamas. Its current and former Board Chairs (Mazen Kahel and Ramy Abdu) appear on a 2013 list, published by Israel, of Hamas’ “main operatives and institutions” in Europe.

Abdu, the founder of Euro-Med, has also been involved with organizations like the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza (ECESG) and the Council for European Palestinian Relations (CEPR), which too have been linked to Hamas.

The Israeli government imposed sanctions on him under its anti-terrorism law in 2020.

According to NGO Monitor, Euro-Med has been active in disseminating blood libels and conspiracy theories about Israel, and accuses Israel of “apartheid,” genocide,” “ethnic cleansing,” “collective punishment,” and “war crimes.”

Its staff has expressed support for Hamas or Hamas figures.

Jerusalem POst

Day 865 — Tuesday, February 17

Iran launched live-fire naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday in preparation for potential security and military threats in the strategic waterway, according to the country’s state-run IRNA news agency.

The drill, called “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz,” was led by the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the supervision of IRGC Commander in Chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, according to Iran International.

State media said the exercise was organized to assess the readiness of operational units, review security plans and rehearse scenarios for responding to any security and military threats in the area.

The exercises came within hours of renewed diplomatic efforts starting in Geneva between the U.S. and Iran that are aimed at reviving negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X on Monday “What is not on the table: submission before threats,” he said.

President Donald Trump has ordered a buildup of U.S. military forces in the Middle East and has threatened to strike Iran if its leadership does not agree to a deal on its nuclear program.

On Friday, Trump also offered an endorsement of regime change in Tehran and said it would be the “best thing that could happen” for Iran.

U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, went on to show U.S. military presence in the region Monday.

In a post on X, it shared images of EA-18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 133 and F-35C Lightning IIs from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 preparing for launch from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

“Operating in international waters in the Middle East, the aircraft carrier conducts around-the-clock flight operations in support of regional security,” the post said.

The Pentagon has been building up what Trump has described as an “armada” in the region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is present flanked by three warships equipped with Tomahawk missiles and is at the center of a broader U.S. naval buildup in the region.

Meanwhile, Tehran said the second round of talks would be held on Tuesday “with the mediation and good offices of Oman.”

Negotiations restarted in Muscat on Feb. 6, after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran in June that sparked a 12-day war and escalated tensions across the region.

On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said there was “significant and legitimate doubt that the Iranians will ever agree to something that would cause them to lay down any ambitions of nuclear weaponry.”

Trump also told reporters Monday, “I’ll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they’ll be very important, and we’ll see what can happen.” 

He added, “I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B2’s to knock out their nuclear potential. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal.”

fox news

Day 865 — Tuesday, February 17

The Hamas terrorist organization used a sequence of emojis as a code name for launching the Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border massacre, the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Censor allowed for publication on Monday.

According to Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster, the emoticons were found on phones belonging to operatives of Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force that spearheaded the deadliest single-day slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

The IDF concluded that the same sequence of emojis had been used ahead of two failed large-scale attacks by the Islamist terrorist group in September 2022 and April 2023, Channel 12 reported.

The emojis signaled to the Nukhba terrorists to switch to Israeli SIM cards ahead of the invasion, according to the Ynet site.

At 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 7, Israeli intelligence noticed that dozens of Israeli SIM cards were activated in Gaza, but the activity was disregarded by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), local media reported last year.

It was not the first such activation. One took place the previous night, on Friday evening at around 9 o’clock. (By Wednesday, Oct. 5, some 45 communication devices of Gaza terrorists had also been activated.)

An intelligence summary by the Shin Bet southern region sent to a group of intelligence and political officials dismissed the activity.

“Today and yesterday, there were SIMs in certain areas of Gaza. This is not unusual, since similar tests were carried out by Hamas last year as well,” the summary reportedly stated.

“According to the division and the command [leadership], Hamas has not changed its routine. The information is preliminary and there are routine activities in Hamas. A discussion on the matter will be held by the [IDF] Southern Command Intelligence Officer at 08:30 and by the Southern Command heads at 10:00,” the Shin Bet added.

The anomaly was detected some three hours and 45 minutes before thousands of Gazan terrorists stormed the security fence and murdered around 1,200 people, wounded thousands of others and took 251 hostages.

JNS

Day 864 — Monday, February 16

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday reiterated his doubts regarding the possibility of any deal with Iran, which he said must include the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and not just stopping uranium enrichment.

His comments came ahead of a second round of U.S.-Iranian talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday, and amid a major American military buildup in the region which is still underway.

“I will not hide from you that I express my skepticism of any deal with Iran, because, frankly, Iran is reliable on one thing: they lie, and they cheat,” Netanyahu said in a keynote speech to the annual gathering of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem.

In his first public address after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week, the Israeli leader said that any agreement must remove all enriched nuclear material from Iran, dismantle its enrichment infrastructure, curb its ballistic missile program and dismantle the axis of terror that Tehran has built across the region.

“There shall be no enrichment capability—not stopping the enrichment process, but dismantling the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place,” he said.

Paraphrasing Ronald Reagan’s “trust but verify” dictum regarding the Soviet Union, he advised Trump: “Distrust. Distrust, and always verify.”

JNS

Day 864 — Monday, February 16

Britain’s High Court has used the ECHR to rule against the government’s declaration of a left-wing direct action group that targets defence firms selling equipment to Israel as a terrorist organisation, forcing police to suspend arrests of supporters.

Palestine Action, a group connected to factory-smashing raids and other acts of vandalism has committed acts of terrorism and its methods are “inconsistent with the hallmarks of civil disobedience”, but it hasn’t committed enough acts of terrorism or been terroristic persistently enough to make its designation as a terrorist group a proportionate response, Britain’s High Court ruled on Friday.

Despite the ruling, supporting Palestine Action remains illegal for now as the court said it was suspending changes pending the appeals process, the government having already confirmed it intended to challenge the decision. Nevertheless the police said they had immediately ended arrests of people professing support for Palestine Action. Instead, officers will “gather evidence” until the appeals process is over and a final decision is taken on whether the group was right to be banned or not.

In reaching the verdict, the bench of three senior judges found that “Palestine Action has undertaken activities amounting to terrorism”, but only a “very small number” of their actions qualified, and for those cases it would be more proportionate for the government to prosecute using criminal law. Citing the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the court said the ban breached rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly for protesters who passively supported Palestine Action, even if its most dedicated members did engage in terrorism.

The court rejected other grounds, however, and found the original decision to ban Palestine Action by the government wasn’t motivated by racial or national discrimination, as the claimant had asserted.

The British Board of Deputies, which represents British Jews, replied with alarm to the ruling, asserting that Palestine Action had been hostile towards Jewish sites before the ban took force last year. They said in a statement: “We are deeply concerned by today’s High Court decision to find against the Government’s proscription of Palestine Action… Palestine Action has repeatedly targeted buildings hosting Jewish communal institutions, Jewish-owned businesses, or sites associated with Israel, in ways that cause fear and disruption far beyond the immediate protest sites… We will seek urgent clarity from the Government, police forces and the CPS regarding the implications Of this ruling and the steps they intend to take to ensure that communities are protected from intimidation and criminality.”

Brexit pioneer and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage linked the ruling to Britain’s problem with two-tier justice, which according to critics sees separate legal standards applied to groups depending on their racial or political characteristics. He said: “Yet another example of how, in Britain today, if you’re a left-wing group that hates our country, attacks our police officers, and damages our armed forces, you can break the law and get away with it.”

Breitbart

Day 863 — Sunday, February 15

In December, when two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more, Israel’s message to the global Jewish community was clear.

“Today, Jews are being hunted across the world,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in the aftermath of the massacre, calling on Jews in Australia, Britain, France, Canada, and Belgium to “come home” to Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the sentiment, urging Western governments to do more to protect Jewish citizens, while framing Israel as the only place where Jews could truly be safe.

Now the government appears to be backing up the words with action.

According to the Hebrew newspaper Makor Rishon, officials have begun advancing an emergency immigration plan called Aliyat HaTekuma, designed to fast-track the immigration process for those coming from countries experiencing a surge in antisemitism.

With a target of absorbing 30,000 new immigrants in 2026, the proposal promises shorter waiting times, financial support, employment placement, and housing assistance in designated cities.

Jerusalem Post

Day 862 — Saturday, February 14

US President Donald Trump was asked on Friday about a potential regime change in Iran and said, “Seems like that could be the best thing that could happen.”

Speaking to reporters upon returning from Fort Bragg, Trump was asked what the people of Iran could do to avoid a US attack and replied, “They give us the deal that they should have given us the first time. If they give us the right deal, we won’t do that. But, you know, historically, they haven’t done that. I will say they want to talk, but so far they do a lot of talking and no action.”

A reporter then asked the President if he would like to see a regime change in Iran and he responded, “Well, it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen. For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk, legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off…tt’s been going on for a long time, so let’s see what happens. In the meantime, tremendous power has arrived, and additional power, as you know, and other carriers going out shortly. If we could get it settled for once and for all, that would be good.”

Earlier in the day, Trump was asked by reporters about his decision to deploy the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to the Middle East, in addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln which is already in the region.

The aircraft carrier was sent “in case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it. If we don’t have a deal, we’ll need it. We have one out there that just arrived. If we need it, we have it ready. A big, a very big force,” said Trump.

Asked how confident he is that the negotiations with Iran will be successful, the President replied, “I think they’ll be successful, and if they’re not, it’s going to be a bad day for Iran, very bad.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 861 — Friday, February 13

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas ordered the publication of the draft constitution for a Palestinian state earlier this week, the PA’s official news agency WAFA announced.

The full draft of the constitution, read by The Jerusalem Post, omitted Jewish ties to Jerusalem in Article III, claiming it as the “capital of the State of Palestine, and its political, spiritual, cultural, and educational center, as well as its national symbol,” and committed to “preserving its religious character and protecting its Islamic and Christian sanctuaries.”

The same article called on the state to commit to protecting Jerusalem’s “legal, political, and historical status,” and affirmed that “any measures to change its character or historical identity are considered null and void according to international law.”

Additionally, Article IV designated the official religion of a Palestinian state as Islam, with Islamic Sharia principles to be the “primary source for legislation,” while also protecting Christianity as having a special status, with designated rights.

The president must also “swear by God Almighty” when entering office, per Article LXXVI, and Article CXXXII called for Sharia disputes to be handled by Sharia and religious courts.

While Article XXVII called for equality without discrimination based on personal aspects, including religion, and Article XXXVII affirmed “freedom of belief and to practice religious rites, establishing places of worship for followers of monotheistic religions,” there is no mention of Judaism or Jewish people in any article of the constitution.

Further, Article I affirmed Palestine as “part of the Arab homeland,” and notes that the “Palestinian people are part of the Arab nation.”

Meanwhile, Article XI reaffirmed the Palestine Liberation Organization as the “sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people” – a status it has claimed since its founding by Yasser Arafat.

Article XXIV described how the state would “work to provide protection and care for the families of martyrs, wounded, and prisoners, and those released from the occupation prisons and the victims of genocide.”

This article is drafted into the constitution, appearing to formalize the continuation of the PA’s controversial “pay-for-slay” policy, which provides financial stipends to families of convicted terrorists and terror suspects.

The article also calls to “pursue the perpetrators of these crimes before the judiciary.”

Article XLIV furthered this by calling for the “provision of comprehensive care for the families of the martyrs, wounded, and prisoners, and those released [from prison], in preservation of their national dignity and their humanitarian and living needs.”

Jerusalem Post

Day 861 — Friday, February 13

Colleges and universities in the United States have received over $1.1 billion in funding from Qatar and more than $285 million from Saudi Arabia, according to data for 2025 released by the U.S. Department of Education.

In total, U.S. colleges and universities received $5.2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts in 2025, the Department of Education revealed on Wednesday citing data its new online portal, which went live in early 2025 and was designed to increase transparency regarding foreign funding of U.S. higher education. 

The Department of Education documented over 8,300 transactions on the portal, with Qatar topping the list of foreign funding by countries in 2025, with over $1.1 billion, followed by the United Kingdom at $633 million, and China at $528 million. Switzerland ($451 million) and Japan ($374 million) were the next largest donors.

China and Qatar have in recent years drawn scrutiny over claims that they use funding and donations to higher education institutions to influence public perceptions of their countries. Overall, about $67.6 billion in foreign funding to U.S. colleges and universities has been reported since disclosure became legally required in 1986, though much of that funding has been disclosed only since 2019.

When examining the data, Qatar leads the list of nation, having donated $7.7 billion, followed by China with $6.4 billion, Germany with $4.7 billion, England with $4.3 billion, and Saudi Arabia with $4.2 billion. 

Linda McMahon, the U.S. secretary of education, said the new portal offers “unprecedented visibility into the foreign dollars flowing into our colleges and universities.” 

“Thanks to the Trump administration’s new accountability portal, the American people have unprecedented visibility into the foreign dollars flowing into our colleges and universities – including funding from countries and entities that are involved in activities that threaten America’s national security,” McMahon said in a statement. 

“This marks a new era of transparency for the American people and streamlined compliance for colleges and universities, making it easier than ever for institutions to meet their legal obligations.”

McMahon said the new portal is important for both academic integrity and national security. 

“This transparency is essential not only to preserving the integrity of academic research but also to ensure the security and resilience of our nation,” she stated. 

Cornell University, which saw several anti-Israel protests during the two-year Gaza war, received the largest amount of Qatari funding overall ($2.3 billion), followed by Carnegie Mellon University with $2 billion.

The large amount of funding by Qatar has raised concern among Israel’s supporters, as many of the schools that received the funding also hosted anti-Israel demonstrations over the past two years. The Trump administration even initiated lawsuits against several of the schools, or canceled federal funding. 

The Trump administration also initiated lawsuits against several schools and moved to cancel federal funding

In a press statement, the Department of Education said Harvard University has received more funding from entities in “countries of concern” since 1986 than any other institution. Both Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley are the subject of ongoing federal probes launched after President Trump began his second term, over alleged failures to disclose foreign donations.

Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which was added in 1986, requires universities that receive federal funding to disclose any funding by a foreign entity, whether gifts or contracts, totaling more than $250,000 per year. The government has previously alleged that universities have not disclosed the full extent of their foreign funding, which is supported by research showing that over the past decade, about100 U.S. colleges and universities failed to disclose approximately $13 billion in undocumented contributions from foreign governments. 

All Israel News