Prefect of French region asks mayor of Nice to remove Israeli flag
(JNS) — The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes department in southern France has asked the mayor of the city of Nice to remove the Israeli flag from the front of City Hall.
The prefect, Laurent Hottiaux, who took office a month ago, sent a letter to Mayor Christian Estrosi on Monday and was preparing a circular for all mayors in the department to express his opposition to any foreign flag, whatever they may be, in town halls, “in the name of the principle of neutrality in public service.”
The Israeli flag has been flying on the front of Nice City Hall since the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. Estrosi has pledged to leave it there as long as there are Hamas hostages in Gaza.
IAF attacks Arak nuclear reactor, dozens of sites across Iran
(JNS) — Forty Israeli Air Force fighter jets overnight Wednesday struck dozens of nuclear and military targets in Tehran and other locations across Iran, including the reactor near Arak, according to the Israeli military.
The reactor strike specifically targeted the core seal structure — a key element in plutonium production, said the Israel Defense Forces.
Construction of the reactor began in 1997 but was halted due to international pressure. Originally designed to produce weapons-grade plutonium, Iran later agreed to convert it for the production of low-grade plutonium unsuitable for nuclear weapons. However, the regime reportedly chose not to complete the conversion — retaining the reactor’s potential for producing weapons.
German chancellor: Israel doing the world’s ‘dirty work’ in Iran
(JNS) — Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday endorsed Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, saying it was doing essential work for Germany and others.
“This is the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us,” Merz told the ZDF broadcaster during an interview on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Alberta, Canada. The phrasing came in response to a question from an interviewer who had used the term.
“We are also affected by this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” Merz added.
Swastikas spray-painted on Jewish headstones in Moldova
(JNS) — Unidentified individuals spray-painted swastikas last week on some 30 headstones in a Jewish cemetery in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, a local rabbi confirmed on Wednesday.
The incident happened last week before the outbreak of war between Iran and Israel, Rabbi Mendy Axelrod told JNS.
Police are working to identify the perpetrators, who did not damage any of the headstones.
The Institute for Jewish Policy Research estimated in 2020 that Moldova has some 1,900 people who identify as Jews.
