As riots tear through France and other parts of Europe, Barry Segal says many of Western Europe's 1.4 million Jews are beginning to realise it is time to make Aliyah.

This week on VFI News, Barry Segal reports from Israel ahead of the October 27th election: the cost of living, 2.6 billion shekels cut from education, health, welfare and national security to fund the IDF, a student survey on quality of life and leaving Israel, the debate over responsibility for October 7th, Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu, Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and the Houthis, and the riots across Europe. Plus some good news to finish: a coming wave of Aliyah.

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday, October 22, accused Iran of attempting to drive up global oil prices ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections, claiming that the Islamic Republic is spreading false claims of attacks and naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump argued that Tehran is trying to create the impression of disruptions to international oil shipments even as the volume of oil passing through the strategic waterway has increased. “Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of oil prior to the U.S. Midterm Election,” he wrote. “They are even making up fake hits, mines, and everything else, because more Oil is coming through the Hormuz Strait now than it did even prior to the beginning of the Conflict.”

Trump went on to sharply condemn the Iranian regime over its treatment of protesters, accusing Tehran of continuing to kill its own citizens. “They continue to kill protestors, and anyone else that happens to be in their way. It is truly an Evil Regime, and I can only hope the American Public, and the World, understands how EVIL they are!” he wrote. The President claimed that 75,000 protesters have been killed in Iran in less than seven months, a figure for which he offered no evidence in the post. “75,000 protestors lie dead in less than seven months,” he stated, adding that it is shocking how little the world seems to care.

Concluding his post, Trump reiterated his determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, AND THEY WILL NEVER A NUCLEAR WEAPON!” the President declared. The all-capitals pledge closed a message that moved in a few lines from the oil markets to the regime's killing of its own people to Tehran's nuclear ambitions, with the midterm elections framed as the reason for Iran's latest maneuvering.

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Hamas has warned Israel that it is prepared to carry out another attack on the scale of the October 7, 2023 massacre, with potential targets inside Israel, in Judea and Samaria, and overseas, it emerged on Thursday, October 22. The threat was delivered to Israeli officials through UN humanitarian coordinator Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, who met with senior Hamas representatives at his office in Gaza during the week of October 12, 2026. On Wednesday, October 21, Alakbarov met with Maj. Gen. Yoram Halevy, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), and passed along the message.

During the Gaza meeting, the Hamas officials expressed growing frustration over developments that they said were weakening the terrorist organization's control over the Gaza Strip, including continued Israeli military operations and changes to the “yellow line” marking IDF positions. They also cited Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas' cancellation of elections scheduled for Saturday, November 28, as another development undermining their position. The officials made clear that Hamas was unwilling to accept the continuation of the current situation and asked Alakbarov to convey its warning to Israel.

Israeli officials consider the warning unprecedented in its directness, and a document detailing the threats was urgently forwarded to Israel's political and security leadership. The warning comes as Israeli forces continue targeting Hamas operatives in Gaza, including members of the organization's elite Nukhba force and senior terrorists. Meanwhile, the Board of Peace and international mediators have demanded that Hamas surrender its weapons; Israeli officials believe the terrorist organization will refuse to disarm and instead seek to prolong the process, and Israel has refused to allow the proposed technocratic governing committee or Palestinian police force to enter the Gaza Strip.

(INN/VFI News)

Violent riots erupted across France on Saturday, October 17, leaving historic government buildings in flames, businesses looted, and more than 150 police officers injured as nationwide demonstrations over rising living costs and deteriorating public services descended into widespread unrest. Approximately 1,200 people were arrested during the disturbances, which followed demonstrations involving an estimated 550,000 people nationwide, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said; the CGT trade union put participation as high as 800,000. Groups of masked rioters attacked police, vandalized public buildings, set vehicles on fire, and broke into stores in cities across the country.

Among the most severe incidents was the destruction of the historic town hall in Limoges, built in 1883 and designated a historic landmark in 1975, which was engulfed in flames and lost much of its roof and structure. Local prefect Maurice Barate called the destruction “a deliberate act by hooligans” and a “catastrophe for heritage.” In Marseille, protesters dressed in black stormed the city hall and covered its walls with graffiti, while in Lyon rioters torched the city's tourist office. In Paris, rioters erected burning barricades, torched vehicles, and attacked businesses into the evening, with police deploying tear gas and water cannons around the Place de la République.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu condemned the violence, accusing radical far-left groups and criminals of exploiting the demonstrations ahead of the presidential election in April 2027. “To those who clearly want to use this violence as a 'warm-up' before the presidential election, I say clearly: We will not let ourselves be intimidated. No one will impose their political agenda through violence,” Lecornu wrote on X. President Emmanuel Macron likewise condemned the attacks and promised that those responsible would face prosecution: “We will all stand united against the sowers of chaos, who only seek to undermine our institutions and prevent those who peacefully express their demands from doing so.” The same day saw protests in Belgium, Portugal, Italy, and Albania.

(INN/VFI News)

Shin Bet Director David Zini traveled to France on Tuesday, October 20, and met with local security and intelligence officials amid the ongoing protests and riots in the country. The visit had been scheduled in advance, but during the meetings the sides also discussed efforts to counter terrorism and radical Islam in light of developments in France. During his working visit to Paris, Zini met with senior representatives of two of France's main intelligence agencies: the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure (DGSI), whose responsibilities are similar to those of the Shin Bet, and the Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure (DGSE), considered the French equivalent of the Mossad.

The meetings included professional discussions on security, including efforts to counter terrorism and radical Islam, set against the backdrop of the riots in France even though the visit was arranged before they had begun. It came just days after a weekend marked by particularly violent clashes between protesters and French police: on Saturday, October 17, more than 1,200 demonstrators were arrested and 150 police officers were injured during protests across the country. The wave of protests began over opposition to the high cost of living and conditions in schools, but in some locations the demonstrations escalated into riots involving clashes with police, the torching of buildings and vehicles, and the looting of businesses.

More than half a million people have taken part in demonstrations in approximately 140 cities across France over the past several weeks. The Shin Bet is regarded as an agency with considerable experience in counterterrorism and intelligence gathering among civilian populations, and French officials are interested in strengthening professional cooperation with Israel in these areas, though no official information has been released regarding any agreements reached during the meetings or new joint initiatives. The Shin Bet declined to confirm details of Zini's visit or the content of his meetings with his French counterparts.

(INN/VFI News)

In this VFI Special Report, Barry Segal turns to the unrest sweeping France and Italy—with troops now on the streets—and asks the question on everyone's mind: can Europe's armies stop the riots? Watch for his perspective on what is unfolding across Europe right now.

Rafael Turiel, chairman of the Mizrachi Movement branch in Milan, Italy, says the riots that have spread from France and other European nations have now reached his city, even as the Jewish community continues its daily routine and threats against it have not increased in the days that followed. The atmosphere on the streets of Europe, he says, has changed significantly since the October 7 massacre. “I think it's like that everywhere in Europe,” he said of the need for caution when visibly displaying Jewish symbols. “It's a spirit that is passing throughout Europe.”

Turiel sees similarities between the riots in Milan and those raging in France, Belgium, Albania, and other countries. “It's similar to France, in my opinion, but not exactly the same thing,” he explained. “Here they are younger than what I see in Paris or France.” He also draws a clear line between these riots and the purely anti-Israel protests held in the city: in the week of October 12, some 5,000 people marched against Israel and Zionism in Milan, but the unrest of Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, was different. “That was against the government, against the situation in schools,” he said.

Even so, Turiel says unqualified support for the Palestinian cause is sometimes visible even in protests driven by local grievances, a trend he sees expanding alongside widening boycotts of Israeli products, tourists, and academics. Security arrangements at community institutions have not changed, he stressed: “We live cautiously. As usual, we have police stationed outside the synagogues and the Jewish school. We have been living this way for years.” There is no general fear that keeps Jews from their daily lives, he says, but there is a constant awareness of the shifting public mood: “The feeling is that something is growing more and more. In the newspapers, in politics, in the streets.”

(INN/VFI News)

The wave of public protests sweeping across Europe over the past several weeks has reached Albania, where anti-government demonstrations took place in the days leading up to Wednesday, October 21. The unrest follows demonstrations in several European countries, including France and Italy, where protests over the rising cost of living have been accompanied by incidents of vandalism and looting. Although the demonstrations in Albania have not directly targeted the Jewish community, extremist rhetoric on social media has raised concerns about the safety of Jewish institutions.

Several individuals have published explicit calls to attack Jewish sites, particularly the country's central synagogue, prompting heightened vigilance within the community. Despite the threats, Albania's Chief Rabbi and Chabad emissary, Rabbi Yoel Kaplan, has sought to reassure community members and calm concerns. In an official statement, Rabbi Kaplan emphasized that Albanians are a peaceful people and expressed confidence that the local population would not tolerate attacks against the synagogue or any attempt to disrupt Jewish communal life.

His message reflects the longstanding historical relationship between the Albanian people and the Jewish community. During the Holocaust, Albanian citizens sheltered and protected Jews, guided by the traditional code of honor known as “Besa,” which emphasizes keeping one's word and protecting those in need. Community leaders expressed confidence that both the Albanian authorities and the general public would continue to stand alongside the Jewish community and prevent extremists from translating online threats into acts of violence.

(INN/VFI News)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the night of Saturday, October 17, urged Israel to take stronger action against violence in Judea and Samaria. Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Rubio said the Trump administration had repeatedly raised the issue with Israeli authorities. “We're all very disturbed by those images and what we're seeing. We've asked the Israelis and continue to ask them to crack down on that stuff,” he said, adding that President Donald Trump “does not want to see friction or anything, a crisis going on in [Judea and Samaria]”.

Rubio was asked specifically about the attack on Friday, October 16, on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, and acknowledged he was still awaiting a full account from the US Embassy. “It was an American reporter, maybe it was a photojournalist, who was caught behind where some of these groups came in and was beaten.” he said. His remarks followed a statement earlier that Saturday by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who strongly condemned the assault and called for criminal prosecution: “Heidi Levine, photojournalist for the Washington Post, suffered serious injuries from vicious & cowardly attack,” Huckabee wrote, adding that those “who attacked unarmed reporter should spend years in prison.”

President Isaac Herzog also contacted Levine on Saturday, October 17, to apologize personally for the violence she experienced, condemning both the attack on her and another violent incident in Taybeh that day. “The despicable behavior of the perpetrators of this attack does not represent the citizens or the values of the State of Israel,” Herzog said. “Israel is a democratic state governed by the rule of law, and it must act with full force against every form of violence.” He called on every government, security, and law enforcement authority to apprehend the lawbreakers and bring them to justice “with the fullest extent of the law,” and wished Levine a speedy recovery.

(INN/VFI News)

“Our Father in Heaven, we pray in Yeshua's Name for Heidi Levine's full recovery and for every victim of lawless violence in Judea and Samaria. We ask You to give Israel's police and security services success in identifying the masked attackers and bringing them to justice swiftly. Protect the good name of Israel before her friends in Washington, and let truth and the rule of law prevail over the deeds of a violent few. Grant wisdom to President Herzog and Israel's leaders as they stand against every form of violence.”

India's Jewish community, which numbers approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people, celebrated a historic legal victory in the week of October 19. The High Court of Madhya Pradesh dismissed an appeal and upheld the designation of the historic Ranital Jewish Cemetery in the city of Jabalpur as a protected national heritage site. News of the ruling reached Israel through restaurateur Rina Pushkarna, who has served for decades as an unofficial liaison between the two countries, and the final decision concludes a lengthy legal battle waged by representatives of the local Bene Israel community with the dedicated assistance of attorney Manish Verma.

The cemetery, believed to be more than a century old, was established during British colonial rule to serve the local Jewish population, when approximately 200 Jewish families lived in Jabalpur and the colonial authorities allocated land specifically for their burial needs. Around 100 people are buried at the site, including prominent members of the Jewish community and Jewish soldiers who served in the British Army. Over the past several years, however, the cemetery became the target of alleged criminal activity, as real estate interests known in India as the “land mafia” attempted to seize the property by falsely claiming it was privately owned; several historic gravestones were damaged or destroyed in the process.

The victory is especially significant given that only three or four members of the Bene Israel community remain in Jabalpur now, yet the campaign drew substantial support from the local municipality, preservation activists, and numerous Indian citizens who regarded the cemetery as an integral part of the city's cultural heritage. With official recognition secured, the community will be able to fence off the cemetery, restore damaged gravestones, and repair its gates, and community leaders believe the ruling will set a precedent for protecting other Jewish heritage sites across India. Israel's Consul General in Mumbai, Yaniv Revach, has offered his full assistance in advancing the restoration.

(INN/VFI News)

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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