International
Harris and Trump commemorate the anniversary of the attack on Israel with symbolic acts
US Vice President Kamala Harris planted a pomegranate in her official residence on Monday, while Former President Donald Trump visited the grave of a prominent rabbi in New York, in acts of great symbolic content to commemorate the first anniversary of Hamas’ attack against Israel.
Both candidates sought to give a solemn air to the day with gestures that reaffirmed their commitment to Israel and, although they tried to maintain an institutional tone, the ceremonies acquired a clear political dimension less than a month before the November 5 elections.
“Today we plant a pomegranate in this garden because, in Judaism, it is a symbol of hope and virtue,” Harris said in statements to the press, in which she said she felt “devastated by the pain and loss” caused a year ago by the Hamas attack, which left 1,200 dead and took 251 hostages.
Trump and Harris star in symbolic acts for Israel
Harris reaffirmed his commitment that he will “always” ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself, but also considered that the world must work to alleviate the “immense suffering” of the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip, who have experienced “so much pain and so much loss during this year.”
In addition, in response to questions from the press, he said that he will not “surrender” in attempts to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages.
The vice president, like US President Joe Biden, has reiterated her support for Israel at all times, but has spoken with a firmer language about the suffering in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli offensive has already left more than 41,900 fatalities.
Trump visits the grave of a key figure for Orthodox Jews
For his part, Trump visited in New York the grave of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a prominent figure of Orthodox Judaism who led the Jabad-Lubavitch movement for more than four decades until his death in 1994.
Known as the “Rebe of Lubavitch”, Schneerson was the seventh leader of this religious current and some considered him a messianic figure, although the Jabad movement has officially denied any interpretation in this regard.
With a black kippá on his head, Trump, who belongs to the Presbyterian Church, deposited a stone on the tombstone of Schneerson’s tomb, following a Jewish custom. In addition, in front of the cameras, he broke into pieces a small piece of paper on which he had apparently left a message for the rabbi and left it inside the mausoleum.
Trump did not make statements to the press at that event, but he will address the media this afternoon in Miami.
In a statement, Karoline Leavitt, one of the Republican spokespeople, reiterated that if the former president had been in the White House, the Hamas attacks “would never have happened.”
Biden lights a candle to honor the victims
Meanwhile, Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, participated this Monday in a ceremony with a rabbi in which they lit a yahrzeit candle, used in Judaism to honor the memory of the deceased, and kept a moment of silence to remember the victims of Hamas.
The ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Aaron Alexander of the Adas Israel Congregation, a family friend of the American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was taken hostage by Hamas and whose body was found at the end of August in a tunnel in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip.
Although Biden did not speak during the event, in the morning he issued a statement in which he reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself after the Hamas attacks, while reiterating his government’s determination to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that allows the release of the hostages.
Condolences from the United States
“We will not give up until we bring the hostages home,” he said in his statement.
In addition, Biden spoke on the phone on Monday with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, to express his condolences on the anniversary of the attack.
The president, however, did not call the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he has not spoken since August 21 and with whom he maintains an increasingly tense relationship after the failed attempts of the United States to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas that allows a ceasefire and release the hostages.
International
UNICEF: Over 700,000 children affected by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the annual refugee admissions will be limited to just 7,500 people, the lowest number since the program was created in 1980.
According to a White House statement, the new cap will prioritize mainly white South Africans and individuals who have been victims of “unjust or illegal discrimination” in their home countries.
Since taking office on January 20, Trump has effectively suspended refugee admissions through an executive order, describing the program as “detrimental” to national interests.
One of the few exceptions to this policy has been the Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers in South Africa, who began entering the U.S. in May. This decision followed Trump’s claim, made without evidence, that this group is facing “genocide.”
The president’s statements have strained diplomatic relations with South Africa, particularly after the country passed a law in January authorizing land expropriation without compensation.
Humanitarian organizations have strongly criticized the new immigration policy and called for its reversal.
International
Trump sets historic low refugee cap at 7,500, prioritizes white South Africans
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the annual refugee admissions will be limited to just 7,500 people, the lowest number since the program was created in 1980.
According to a White House statement, the new cap will prioritize mainly white South Africans and individuals who have been victims of “unjust or illegal discrimination” in their home countries.
Since taking office on January 20, Trump has effectively suspended refugee admissions through an executive order, describing the program as “detrimental” to national interests.
One of the few exceptions to this policy has been the Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers in South Africa, who began entering the U.S. in May. This decision followed Trump’s claim, made without evidence, that this group is facing “genocide.”
The president’s statements have strained diplomatic relations with South Africa, particularly after the country passed a law in January authorizing land expropriation without compensation.
Humanitarian organizations have strongly criticized the new immigration policy and called for its reversal.
International
Hurricane Melissa kills over 30, leaves thousands displaced in the Caribbean
Hurricane Melissa has caused widespread destruction in several Caribbean countries, leaving more than thirty dead, thousands displaced, and significant material losses after striking with force this week.
In Haiti, the Civil Protection Directorate reported at least 24 fatalities, including 20 deaths on Wednesday due to a flash flood in La Digue, a municipality of Petit-Goâve, south of Port-au-Prince. Another victim was reported in Artibonite, and three others had died earlier last week.
Authorities also reported 17 people injured, 18 missing, and 1,156 families affected, with 2,399 people sheltered in emergency facilities, particularly in the southern regions, Grand’Anse, Nippes, and the southeast of the country.
UNICEF: Over 700,000 children affected by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean
Trump sets historic low refugee cap at 7,500, prioritizes white South Africans
Hurricane Melissa kills over 30, leaves thousands displaced in the Caribbean
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