![Israel must continue to be able to deter Hezbollah, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stressed on Wednesday, speaking amid efforts to reach a ceasefire with Iran's Lebanese terrorist proxy. "We need to keep the freedom to act if there will be violations. And we will have to act in time, before the problem will grow," the minister told a gathering of nearly 100 foreign ambassadors in Jerusalem, the Times of Israel reported. A deal to end more than a year of fighting on the northern border must be durable, Sa'ar said, saying Jerusalem “would like to reach an agreement that will stand the test of time." He added that a ceasefire would be an "opportunity" for Lebanon to regain its sovereignty after the Israeli military severely degraded the Iranian-backed group in recent months. He called for the Lebanese Armed Forces to be strengthened and urged the international community to invest more in the economically devastated country, which is drowning in debt following years of mismanagement and corruption. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also emphasized on Wednesday the necessity for Jerusalem to be able to act against any Hezbollah threats that may arise after a ceasefire deal is implemented. “The condition for any political settlement in Lebanon is the preservation of the intelligence capability and the preservation of the [IDF’s] right to act and protect the citizens of Israel from Hezbollah,” Katz said. Meanwhile, U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein remained in Beirut for a second day on Wednesday to discuss "technical details" of an American ceasefire proposal with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement. President Joe Biden's point man in the Land of the Cedars announced he would travel to Israel on Wednesday night, speaking after he made "additional progress" in a second meeting with Berri. Hochstein was scheduled to meet with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer shortly after his arrival, followed by a tête-à-tête with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the following day. “The meeting today built on the meeting yesterday, and made additional progress,” Hochstein said. “So I will travel from here in a couple hours to Israel to try to bring this to a close if we can.” The Biden envoy added that he will work with the incoming Trump administration on ceasefire efforts, saying that he has kept the president-elect's transition team informed of progress. Hochstein described as "very productive" his meetings with Lebanese officials on Tuesday. “We have a real opportunity to end the conflict, and now is the moment to decide. We are committed to doing everything we can to work with Lebanon and Israel to end this conflict,” Hochstein said at a press conference on Tuesday. Hochstein also met on Tuesday with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and he was scheduled to meet with Lebanese Armed Forces commander Gen. Joseph Aoun. Mikati emphasized that Lebanon’s primary objectives are achieving a ceasefire and safeguarding its sovereignty. He highlighted the need to implement international resolutions and bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces in the southern part of the country. Lebanon delivered its written response to the latest U.S. proposal on Monday. According to Ali Hassan Khalil, an aide to Berri, the response included “comments” that were “presented in a positive atmosphere.” He did not provide details on the nature of the comments, saying only that they “affirm the precise adherence to [U.N. Security Council] Resolution 1701 with all its provisions,” according to Reuters. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in a speech on Wednesday that the terrorist group had "read the ceasefire proposal. "We have our comments, and Nabih Berri has comments, and ours and the Lebanese government's comments are, Inshallah ['God willing'], identical," Qassem said. "We have decided not to discuss these ceasefire proposals or our comments in the media. All I will say is that Israeli is trying to obtain through negotiations what it couldn't through war." The terrorist leader vowed to “continue our efforts on the ground, whether the negotiations succeed or not. “We are confronting a savage enemy, and we will remain on the ground, no matter the cost, as we will also increase the cost for the enemy. We are facing Israeli human monsters supported by American human monsters,” threatened Qassem. Disarm and retreat Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, stipulated that Hezbollah must disarm and retreat north of the Litani River, but was never enforced. The Litani lies some 20 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border. Its enforcement, along with Israeli freedom of operation in Lebanon should Hezbollah violate the terms of a ceasefire agreement, are the key sticking points in the current negotiations. Netanyahu emphasized during a speech in the Knesset plenum on Monday that Israel will not allow Hezbollah to “return to the state it was in on Oct. 6, 2023. “We will be required, in order to ensure our security in the north, to systematically carry out operations—not only against Hezbollah’s attacks, which could come. Even if there is a ceasefire, nobody can guarantee it will hold. So it’s not only our reaction, a preventive reaction, a reaction in the wake of attack but also the capacity to prevent Hezbollah from strengthening,” he said. Hezbollah has launched some 16,000 rockets, missiles and drones from Lebanon at Israel since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Gaza-based terrorist group’s massacre in southern Israel. More than 60,000 residents of northern Israel remain internally displaced due to the ongoing rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon. Seventy-six people in northern Israel have been killed by Hezbollah cross-border rocket, missile and drone attacks since the start of the war, including 31 soldiers and six foreign citizens, according to the latest data provided by the Prime Minister’s Office, updated on Sunday. In addition, 729 people have been wounded, including 497 civilians and 232 soldiers. Of these, 29 civilians and 37 soldiers were severely injured; 63 civilians and 38 soldiers were moderately injured and 405 civilians and 157 soldiers were lightly injured. Hezbollah’s leadership has been left in tatters following a series of targeted killings by Israel, including that of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on Sept. 27. This was preceded by Israeli sabotage of Hezbollah communication devices that killed 39 people and wounded more than 3,400 members of the terrorist group. Israel has been waging a devastating aerial campaign against Hezbollah throughout Lebanon, including its stronghold of Dahieh south of Beirut. According to Israeli estimates, the terrorist group has lost most of its arsenal to the ongoing strikes. Then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in late October that Hezbollah had lost an estimated 80%-plus of its long-range rockets since the start of the war. Israel also continues to battle Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The terrorist group still holds 101 hostages in the Strip, 97 of whom were kidnapped on Oct. 7. Many of the captives are believed to be dead. Brazil summit Meanwhile, G20 leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro for a summit put out a joint statement on Monday calling for “comprehensive” ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. The leaders of the world’s biggest economies called for U.S. proposals to end fighting in Gaza and free the hostages, and one for Lebanon “that enables citizens to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line.” The 13-point U.S. proposal presented to Lebanese officials on Nov. 14 includes a 60-day truce, during which Lebanon would redeploy its troops along the border. The proposal also calls for Moscow to prevent Hezbollah from resupplying itself via Syrian land routes. Hezbollah would retreat north of the Litani River, with the border area then being under control of the Lebanese Armed Forces, overseen by the United States and Britain. Israeli officials are emphasizing, however, that the Israel Defense Forces must retain freedom of operation in Lebanon to thwart attempts by Hezbollah to violate the agreement and rearm and reestablish itself. A senior Israeli diplomatic official told Israel Hayom on Saturday that the IDF will retain operational freedom to respond to any security threats from across the northern border, regardless of any diplomatic arrangements. However, a source close to Hezbollah told The Washington Post that the group’s “condition for progress remains clear: Israel must be prohibited from conducting operations within Lebanese territory.” Berri emphasized at the time that any ceasefire agreement must not include the ability for Israel to attack by land, sea or air, Channel 12 reported. “Otherwise, what’s the purpose of an agreement?” he remarked. Another sticking point is Lebanon’s objection to the United Kingdom and Germany monitoring the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701. Beirut reportedly favors the United States and France. If the ceasefire efforts fail, there are plans in the works to expand ground operations in Lebanon, an Israeli military official told the Post. Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer discussed the proposal with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during a visit to his Florida estate earlier this month, as well as with senior Biden administration officials in Washington. Dermer also traveled to Russia to discuss the ceasefire proposal. Tehran is telling its Lebanese terrorist proxy Hezbollah that it supports ending the war against Israel, The New York Times reported over the weekend. Ali Larijani, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, met with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut on Nov. 15 to discuss the matter. Two Iranians affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps told the Times that Larijani conveyed messages to Hezbollah from Khamenei that he supported the end of the war and that the regime would assist with rebuilding the terrorist group’s forces and recovering from the war.](https://jewishwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Gideon-Saar-1320x880-2-218x150.jpg "Sa’ar: Israel must be free to act against Hezbollah truce violations")
(Press Release) Following the historic JCC Maccabi Games in Israel, the world’s largest Jewish youth sports event continues with JCC Association of North America’s 41st JCC Maccabi Games® and Access events in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, August 6-11, hosted by the David Posnack JCC. The opening ceremony will kick off at the FLA Live Arena on Monday, August 7, at 6 p.m. ET, with more than three dozen state, county, and local officials as well as prominent Jewish leaders slated to attend. The Games are a dynamic experience of Olympic-style sports and volunteer service designed to strengthen Jewish teens’ identities and connections to global Jewish peoplehood.
Nearly 2,000 Jewish teens comprising 64 delegations from the U.S., Canada, and six other nations around the world will gather for the inspiring week-long events. For the first time, delegations from Argentina, South Africa, and Ukraine, which also sent a delegation to the recent Israel-based Games, will participate in Ft. Lauderdale. Israel, Great Britain, and Mexico, countries that regularly participate in the Games, also will be represented. The Games will feature baseball, basketball, ice hockey, girls’ volleyball, flag football, lacrosse, soccer, table tennis, tennis, swimming, and dance competitions. The Games’ closing ceremony and celebratory dinner on Friday, August 11, will feature the passing of the JCC Maccabi torch to next year’s host communities.
The JCC Maccabi Games are not just about sports and athletics but also serve as a spark to ignite Jewish pride and identity in Jewish youth and an opportunity for them to develop lifelong friendships with Jewish peers from around the world. JCC Maccabi plays a vital role in offering Jewish experiences to Jewish teenagers who otherwise would not have access to them. For 63 percent of teens, the JCC Maccabi Games is their only engagement with an organized Jewish youth event, global Jewish life, and Israel. The 350 coaches, delegation heads, and scores of volunteers who make the Games possible leave a lasting impression on the teens’ sense of Jewish community and Jewish identity. For more than 40 years, across 111 host communities, and touching over 500,000 Jewish teens, families, and volunteers, JCC Maccabi has stood as one of the most significant Jewish peoplehood initiatives of our time.
In addition to sports, athletes engage in volunteer and community support experiences through JCC Cares, the service arm of the JCC Maccabi experience that brings to life the JCC Maccabi value (midot) of tikkun olam (repairing the world). Program partners for JCC Cares in Fort Lauderdale include the Children’s Services Council of Broward County, We Finish Together, and the Goodman Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Broward County food bank services.
“I am filled with pride this summer as more than 3,000 Jewish teens from around the world take part in the JCC Maccabi Games, one of the foremost Jewish peoplehood initiatives of our time.” shares Doron Krakow, president and CEO of JCC Association of North America. “We returned to Israel for just the second time in our history as we joined in the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the fulfillment of the Zionist dream. We continue in Fort Lauderdale for one of the largest such gatherings in recent memory. For thousands of athletes, along with coaches, volunteers, host families and a wall-to-wall coalition of Jewish community organizations, this year’s Games are an extraordinary reminder of the capacity for good across a diverse and dynamic Jewish community.”
Among those at the Ft. Lauderdale Games will be a group of 21 athletes representing seven communities participating in JCC Maccabi Access, a JCC Maccabi Games experience for Jewish athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The number of participants (age 12–22) has expanded three-fold since Access successfully launched at last year’s Games in San Diego. JCC Maccabi Access is the only organized Jewish youth sporting event that integrates its athletes with JCC Maccabi athletes for a shared experience. Access athletes—accompanied by individuals who provide one-to-one support—will join thousands of their Jewish peers in unified and specialized activities; athletic competitions; skills development; social activities; and the opening ceremony, marching together with their community delegation. The Access Games will culminate with a rousing closing ceremony that celebrates the accomplishments of each athlete. JCC Maccabi Access reflects JCC Association’s commitment to inclusion and supports JCCs in developing ongoing engagement activities in their own communities for teens with disabilities and their families.
“JCC Maccabi Access is an important opportunity for our movement to demonstrate our commitment to inclusion and to ensure all our programming embodies and reflects our responsibility to uphold this value,” says Sierra Weiss, the JCC Movement’s Access and inclusion specialist. Further, Weiss says, “It offers athletes and their families a chance both to join with other families that have had similar experiences and to feel a part of the wider Jewish community in a meaningful way. Every Jewish person has a place in the JCC Movement.” Liv Mendelson, a consultant with professional expertise in disability inclusion, also contributes to the work of JCC Association in this arena.
Reflecting on the breadth of the entire program, Samantha Cohen, senior vice president and head of JCC Maccabi at JCC Association, says, “The JCC Maccabi Games have an awe-inspiring, lifelong impact, uniting young Jewish athletes through sport, values, and service and, for many, offering an introduction to the global Jewish community and Israel. It’s critical they have this meaningful opportunity in their formative teen years before many head off to college.” Cohen credits her own transformative Jewish journey, which led to her role as a Jewish communal professional, to her early involvement as a participant in JCC Maccabi, saying she “arrived at the Games as a British tennis player and returned home a Jewish athlete.”
“We are especially honored to host the Access Games for athletes with developmental disabilities,” says Scott Ehrlich, CEO of the Posnack JCC, which last hosted the Games in 2015. “Strengthening lay and professional leadership ties; activating volunteers and fundraising efforts; and fostering a sense pride within the community and beyond are among the reasons we are excited to take on this role again this summer.”
The Ft. Lauderdale Games are made possible by continental and local donors who are committed to providing countless young Jews with this exceptional opportunity. This year’s extraordinary JCC Maccabi Games have been supported on the continental level by a $5 million total investment from RootOne, which is seeded through a generous grant from The Marcus Foundation and powered by The Jewish Education Project. Mosaic United, the Samueli Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Seed the Dream Foundation, and other individual and anonymous donors provided critical support for the Games’ educational components, community service activities, and more.
Major philanthropic support also is provided by The Coca-Cola Company, a proud sponsor of the JCC Maccabi Games for 34 years, distinguishing the company as the JCC Movement’s longest-standing continental sponsor. “For more than three decades, The Coca-Cola Company has been honored to partner with JCC Maccabi,” says Alba Baylin, the company’s vice president, Stakeholder and Community Management. “Throughout the years, we’ve seen these Games repeatedly demonstrate the power of community, unity, and collaboration. How they take shape in the communities we serve has a tremendous impact upon the lives of the leaders of tomorrow.” The Coca-Cola Company’s enduring investment in the Games extends beyond financial support, with Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (Coke Florida), the local independent Coca-Cola bottler, providing beverage products that will offer hydration for athletes and others throughout the Games.
At the Games’ conclusion, JCC Association of North America will officially announce the host communities for the 42nd JCC Maccabi Games® in 2024. The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit in West Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, will host the Games from July 28 to August 2, 2024, for athletes ages 12-16. And in Houston, Texas, the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC will host the JCC Maccabi Games® and Access from August 4 to 9, 2024, for athletes ages 12-16 and Access athletes ages 12-22. Detroit and Houston will be the 112th and 113th JCC communities to bring the Games home.
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Preceding provided by the JCC Association of North America