Seffi Kogen

I'm wishing Israeli New Yorkers and all those celebrating here and abroad a happy Yom Ha’atzmaut! Today we recognize Israel’s independence and affirm New York’s special bond with the Israeli people as the city that is home to the world’s second largest Jewish population.

New York is proud to be home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel. As we recognize Yom Ha’atzmaut and celebrate Israel's Independence Day, we’re reminded of the strong bond that New York and Israel share. We're proud to stand in solidarity with the Israeli people.

Extraordinary to see @jakejsullivan—whom I’ve long admired—supporting an arms embargo on Israel while Republicans have undercut Ukraine. Two frontline allies fighting America’s enemies. They are carrying burdens that will otherwise fall on U.S. forces in the Middle East and Europe as we work to counter China. Taiwan is watching in fear as America teaches the world and the Chinese Communist Party that its alliances are hostage to domestic politics. A smart national security strategy would be strengthen and leverage Israel and Ukraine to counter Putin and the Islamists. This is geopolitical malpractice.

Confused as to why politicians say, on another attempted arson attack on a Jewish building, “these terrorists are trying to divide us - and will not succeed etc etc.” Are they? I’d say that diviseness is not the object. I’d say it’s trying to kill Jews.

This rational makes no sense. When Israel had no Iron Dome, terrorist rockets just crashed into Israeli towns. Israel had to respond. From the advent of Iron Dome in 2011 until October 7, Israel absorbed many rocket attacks and responded more moderately - because of Iron Dome.

During warmups before a Brooklyn Nets game, their new Israeli player Ben Saraf took the aux and blasted Mahapecha by Omer Adam. Instant vibes.

A friend in Israel is my age with a young family. They are in a bomb shelter with an infant & children right now. He tells me — ‘morale is high; we’re exhausted & worse but in it to win it. And we feel fellowship profoundly with the Americans; we are part of something bigger than us.’ It’s a fellowship of free people, and one that I hope Iranians themselves may join after decades of brutal repression.

@kos_data As @kampeas says: always find the local angle

Update: Kosovo non-recognizer Iran is being bombed by US.

Harlem’s Tsiyon Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC. Owned by talented chef Beejhy Berhan, an immigrant from Ethiopia who is proudly Jewish. Now they are closing their doors. Why? Because of a constant stream of animosity, that got even worse when they went kosher two years ago. The is blatant bigotry. I am deeply disturbed by this and you should be too.

NOTHING FINER.

I wrote about a telling moment on NYT’s The Daily: a sweeping religious accusation against Jews surfaces, panic sets in, and it’s swiftly reframed as “Zionism” by the interviewer. It’s the zeitgeist: don’t say “the Jews,” just say “the Zios.” link: open.substack.com/pub/nadave/p/w…

So well said, by Bret. "Though we’ll probably learn more in the weeks ahead about the mind-set of Sunday’s killers, it’s reasonable to surmise that what they thought they were doing was “globalizing the intifada.” That is, they were taking to heart slogans like “resistance is justified,” and “by any means necessary,” which have become ubiquitous at anti-Israel rallies the world over. For many of those who chant those lines, they may seem like abstractions and metaphors, a political attitude in favor of Palestinian freedom rather than a call to kill their presumptive oppressors. But there are always literalists — and it’s the literalists who usually believe their ideas should have real-world consequences. On Sunday, those consequences were written in Jewish blood. History tells us that it won’t be the last time." nytimes.com/2025/12/14/opi…

The unarmed civilian hero who stopped the terrorist at the Chanukah party in Sydney and seized his rifle is Ahmed El Ahmad. Ahmed, 43, a father of two and a fruit shop owner, risked his life to save others. He was shot during the attack and is scheduled for surgery tonight. Without his courage, the number of casualties would have been far higher. We wish him a full and speedy recovery ❤️‍🩹

Of all the clips you will see, THIS ONE 👇

This is terrible. It smacks of an academic boycott of a respected Israeli university. It also is a great way to drive innovation jobs out of the city. Both wrong in principle and self-defeating in practice.

For two long years, we have waited for this moment. To say: they are home! 

Elkana Bohbot
Matan Angrest
Avinatan Or
Yosef-Haim Ohana
Alon Ohel
Evyatar David
Guy Gilboa-Dalal
Rom Braslavski
Gali Berman
Ziv Berman
Eitan Mor
Segev Kalfon
Nimrod Cohen
Maxim Herkin
Eitan Horn
Matan Zangauker
Bar Kupershtein
David Cunio
Ariel Cunio
Omri Miran

We never stopped fighting for your release, and today—together with Jews around the world—we celebrate your return to Israel! 🇮🇱

אבא עמרי בבית. Daddy Omri is Home. ❤️

Remember, the reason the Palestine activists scream "genocide!" constantly is that *their own cause is explicitly genocidal*.

Seeing the tens of thousands of Palestinians return to their homes in northern Gaza, one can only remember the endless accusations against Israel: that the war was about displacement, ethnic cleansing, settlements- that these are supposedly the 'real' aims. Now the war has ended, Israel sees itself as victorious, and none of these goals has been achieved. How is it possible? Here's the truth: Israel was trying to prevent Hamas from controlling Gaza and, primarily, trying to get its hostages back. I’ve spent so many words in international media explaining that this war could end in minutes if Hamas agrees to return the hostages. But that ship had long sailed; the war was not portrayed by most of the international journalists or politicians as a war at all. Israeli military casualties were almost never reported. It was presented as an onslaught, a massacre - no security aim, no reason, just death, reigned by Israelis with no purpose. Now, the hostages are returning, and the war has suddenly stopped. Will they remember that forgotten connection? Hostages were always at the heart of the legitimacy of the war- for Israel, the U.S., and the international community. True, far-right and some Likud elements in the Israeli government had other (dangerous) dreams. The Prime Minister allowed those to be discussed and addressed. Yet these were never the consensus or a real option. Recap: Hamas first refused to give up control of the Strip. Then, it refused to release hostages before full IDF withdrawal. It then refused disarmament. Now it agrees to all of these conditions. Echo chambers that cheered Hamas’s radical demands were obsessed with indicting Israel rather than ending the war and saving lives. With all my criticism of Netanyahu and the missed opportunities to end the conflict, this was never about endless war. I write this no to defend him, but to explain the Israeli society. one only needs to know Israelis and witness the scenes of joy now, with this ceasefire, to understand that this is a people that wanted their lives back. Mainly, they wanted the hostages home and to know Hamas isn't a threat anymore. President Trump, in a true demonstration of state-of-the-art statecraft, made it happen. He will forever be regarded as a hero in Israel. Those who amplified Hamas’s demands are now silent- or even condemning the agreement. For them, it’s never been about Palestinians. It’s about hating Israel and Zionism to the point of being willing to sacrifice the last Palestinian so that their argument demonizing Israel will prevail.

A thread for your consideration 🧵