Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · 4d

Rabbis for Ceasefire has no plans for disbanding, now that a ceasefire has been called. In fact, it plans to redouble its efforts. religionnews.com/2025/10/15/f...

Amid a fragile ceasefire, left-leaning US Jews continue advocacy

(RNS) — Some left-leaning Jews want to continue to build pressure to ensure Palestinians have hope for a brighter future, one that guarantees them physical and political freedom.

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · 6d

President Trump's peace plan does not mention the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the private entity created by the US and Israel. Instead, it empowered the U.N. to once again deliver aid: religionnews.com/2025/10/13/a...

Aid to Gaza resumes, with UN and established faith-based agencies leading the way

(RNS) — President Trump's peace plan does not mention the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private entity created by the US and Israel to circumvent the United Nations.

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · 11d

Franklin Graham said a new standard mandating a “leader care plan” puts the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability into the role of trying to be ‘the moral police of the evangelical world.’ religionnews.com/2025/10/08/f...

Franklin Graham quits membership in financial accountability group

(RNS) — Graham said the standards mandating a leader care plan 'puts ECFA into the role of trying to be the moral police of the evangelical world.'

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · 13d

Conservative Church of England congregations, both evangelical and Anglo-Catholic, are happy have a woman as their next archbishop of Canterbury. Their real worry is her views on same-sex marriage. religionnews.com/2025/10/06/s...

Conservative British Anglicans extend the first woman archbishop a warm embrace

LONDON (RNS) — Conservative Church of England congregations, both evangelical and Anglo-Catholic, are willing to accept Mullally's gender. Their real worry is her views on same-sex marriage.

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · 17d

King Charles’ choice for Archbishop of Canterbury will be announced Friday. It caps nearly a year of speculation and a lot of online betting. religionnews.com/2025/10/02/w...

Who will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury? Brits have placed their final bets

(RNS) — Since Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned nearly a year ago, Brits have been using one of their favorite pastimes to guess who will replace him: placing bets.

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Sep 10

Jerry Seinfeld, in an appearance at Duke, says the KKK is more honest than those who shout "Free Palestine." www.dukechronicle.com/article/duke...

Jerry Seinfeld compares ‘Free Palestine’ movement to KKK in surprise Duke appearance

“By saying Free Palestine, you’re not admitting what you really think,” Seinfeld said. “Compared to the Ku Klux Klan I’m actually thinking the Klan is actually a little better here because they can co...

www.dukechronicle.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Sep 9

For nearly four decades, Ken Isaacs has led the disaster relief efforts for Samaritan’s Purse across the world. Now he’s written a memoir detailing his trips to the world’s hotspots. religionnews.com/2025/09/09/f...

yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Aug 21

A beautiful reflection on the life of Awdah Hathaleen by his friends Maya Rosen and Erez Bleicher jewishcurrents.org/remembering-...

Remembering Awdah Hathaleen

The Palestinian activist turned hospitality into a tool of sabotage against the ongoing Nakba.

jewishcurrents.org

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Aug 21

After struggling for months to find partners to help them deliver aid to Gaza, the embattled Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has picked up a collaborator — Samaritan’s Purse, the international Christian disaster relief organization headed by the Rev. Franklin Graham. religionnews.com/2025/08/21/s...

Samaritan's Purse joins Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid efforts in Gaza

(RNS) — Since July 26, Samaritan’s Purse has sent eight relief flights and a medical team to Gaza — one of the only faith-based groups to join the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s efforts.

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Aug 12

The push to recognize Palestine is not meant to punish Israel, argues @joshualeifer.bsky.social, but to revive the two-state solution — a push Jewish institutions should welcome: www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025...

Why U.S. Jewish organizations should welcome efforts to recognize Palestine – but don't | Opinion

***

www.haaretz.com

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Reposted

Shibley Telhami @stelhami.bsky.social · Aug 7

New poll by Data For Progress and @zeteo.bsky.social: Nearly half of American voters now say Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, compared to 39% last year.

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Aug 8

Israeli authorities refused to release the body of Awdah Hathaleen, who was shot and killed by an Israeli settler in the West Bank town of Umm al-Khair. They finally agreed Thursday — 10 days after his killing. religionnews.com/2025/08/07/p...

Palestinian nonviolent activist killed by Israeli settler is buried after IDF releases body

(RNS) — Only about 200 people were able to attend the early morning funeral for Awdah Hathaleen, after the Israeli military closed off the village and set up checkpoints at key areas.

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Aug 4

When church is no longer a refuge. Great reporting by @jackjenkins.me religionnews.com/2025/08/04/w...

'This is domestic terror': Shaken by ICE raids, pastors rethink ministries

(RNS) — The fear of raids has pushed some congregations back to pandemic-era worship strategies.

religionnews.com

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Reposted

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · Aug 1

Via @yonat.bsky.social on @npr.org and @rns.org: Jewish leaders from the U.S. sign a letter urging Israel to allow more aid into Gaza —> www.npr.org/2025/08/01/n...

Jewish leaders from the U.S. sign a letter urging Israel to allow more aid into Gaza

More than a thousand rabbis and other Jewish leaders from the U.S. and elsewhere have signed a public letter urging Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

www.npr.org

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Jul 29

A 31-year-old Palestinian Bedouin who was shot and killed by a Jewish settler Monday was a beloved activist dedicated to nonviolent resistance. religionnews.com/2025/07/29/a...

Well-known Palestinian activist committed to nonviolence killed by an Israeli settler

(RNS) — Adwah Hathaleen, who worked as an English teacher, was a beloved leader in his community’s nonviolent resistance. In June, he was denied entry to the U.S. on a speaking engagement.

religionnews.com

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Reposted

Abby Chava Stein @abbystein.bsky.social · Jul 28

I met Awdah last year in Umm al-Khair. This is just so deeply unacceptable, yes so expectable 😭💔

Killed in cold blood, unarmed, while on his land, all for opposing settler terror and violence.

Every unjustifiable dead is heartbreaking. This one hits even harder.
עד מתי. עד מתי.

Post from (Oscar winner) Basel Adra @basel_adra that reads:
"I can hardly believe it. My dear friend Awdah was slaughtered this evening.He was standing in front of the community center in his village when a settler fired a bullet that pierced his chest and took his life.
This is how Israel erases us — one life at a time.
الله يرحمك"

Followed by a photo of Awdah, and a photo of the site where he was murdered.

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Jul 27

In her book, 'Spellbound,' Molly Worthen posits that charismatic people tell a compelling story about human identity and purpose that others gravitate to because it helps explain their own role in the grand scheme of life. religionnews.com/2025/07/25/w...

What makes for charisma? Religion historian tries to understand the mysterious force.

(RNS) — In her recent book, 'Spellbound,' Molly Worthen posits that charismatic people tell a compelling story about human identity and purpose that others gravitate to because it helps explain their ...

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Jul 22

Despite some 1,000 killings near its aid distribution sites, the Rev. Johnnie Moore described the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as "unbelievably effective" in a Zoom call: religionnews.com/2025/07/22/j...

Johnnie Moore says embattled aid group 'unbelievably effective,' blames UN, Hamas for not helping Gazans

(RNS) — During a one-hour Zoom call, the chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said the world was waging a disinformation campaign against the group.

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Jul 15

U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said the Trump administration must allow in more refugees who had travel booked to the US before the president froze the refugee program — including those living in countries included in the travel ban. religionnews.com/2025/07/15/j...

Judge orders government to admit more refugees whose flights were canceled

(RNS) — According to the government, as many as 12,000 refugees had made travel plans to the U.S. before the refugee freeze. They may all press their case now.

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Jul 11

Seven months after his flight to the United States was abruptly canceled, the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit seeking to overturn President Trump’s freeze on the U.S. refugee program arrived at RDU. religionnews.com/2025/07/11/p...

Plaintiff in refugee ban lawsuit, Pacito v. Trump, arrives in North Carolina

(RNS) — A 22-year-old Congolese refugee is the lead plaintiff in a suit challenging Trump’s executive order freezing all refugee resettlement.

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Jun 30

The executive committee of North Carolina’s Democratic Party passed a strongly worded resolution calling for an end to "military aid, weapons shipments and logistical support to Israel." religionnews.com/2025/06/30/n...

NC Democratic Party adopts resolution calling for Israel arms embargo

(RNS) — The resolution comes at a time when the Democratic Party's stance on Israel is evolving.

religionnews.com

yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Jun 27

To end their hunger strike, the strikers are demanding that the United States stop arming Israel and that Israel “stop starving Gaza.” religionnews.com/2025/06/27/m...

JVP Chicago members attempt indefinite fast to draw attention to Gaza starvation crisis

CHICAGO (RNS) — The strikers said they will continue to fast until their demands are met or their bodies give out.

religionnews.com

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yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Jun 26

White evangelicals’ love affair with Donald Trump continued unabated in the 2024 election. But a new study examining verified voters shows the president won over the affections of most other Christians, too. religionnews.com/2025/06/26/p...

Pew study finds Trump gained with Catholics, nonwhite Protestants in 2024

(RNS) — The president won over a majority of Protestants and Catholics. He did much better among Hispanic and Asian Protestants.

religionnews.com

yonat.bsky.social @yonat.bsky.social · Jun 13

A Bay Area synagogue invited two Palestinians to visit. Their visas were revoked and they were sent home. religionnews.com/2025/06/13/a...

Palestinians invited to speak at a Bay Area synagogue were sent home at airport

(RNS) — The two Palestinians live in the Masafer Yatta region of the South Hebron hills and were recently featured in the Oscar-winning Israeli-Palestinian documentary 'No Other Land.'

religionnews.com

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