Michele Chabin

Israel, Jerusalem

Correspondent at National Catholic Register

Correspondent at Religion News Service

Freelance Journalist at Freelance

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Articles

Trump pressures Netanyahu and Hamas for a Gaza endgame

4 weeks ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Michele Chabin

JERUSALEM — As the Hamas–Israel war nears its 20th month and the Israeli military has once again expanded its operations in Gaza, a long-lasting resolution could still be elusive. Despite efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration, previous ceasefires failed to permanently stop the fighting. For Hamas, the more destruction the Israeli military inflicts on Gaza, the better the optics.
After deadly shooting, Jewish organizations are again scrutinizing security

1 month ago | religionnews.com | Michele Chabin

(RNS) — American Jewish communities are rushing to bolster already heightened security around their institutions and businesses after the May 21 killings of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.The attack in Washington “solidifies that we cannot be lax” about security, said Avram Klein, general manager of Seasons, a popular kosher supermarket in Queens, New York.
Bethlehem Catholics pray Pope Leo XIV will keep Palestine a priority of the Vatican

1 month ago | religionnews.com | Michele Chabin

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (RNS) — Entering the Nativity Store gift shop, located around the corner from the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square, the first thing many visitors notice are its oversized photos of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis. Soon the family-owned shop, which has been open for 98 years, will add a photo of Pope Leo XIV.
American Intifada: How Israel became the progressive Left's villain

2 months ago | timesofisrael.com | Michele Chabin

In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre, Uri Kaufman — an American Jewish lawyer — watched with concern as major NGOs like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations shifted blame from Hamas onto Israel. More troubling to Kaufman was how mainstream media outlets and political figures — including The New York Times and former President Barack Obama — echoed false narratives.
Turkey’s expansionist Middle East aspirations don’t bother the Trump administration

2 months ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Michele Chabin

JERUSALEM — In December 2024, after Islamic-led rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad’s brutal regime, President-elect Donald Trump gave Israel a rhetorical green light to expand its military reach in Syria. Capitalizing on Syria’s leadership void, the Israel Defense Forces quickly decimated its neighbor’s military infrastructure and widened the buffer zone between the two countries.
Pope Francis: A Friend of the Jewish People

2 months ago | ncregister.com | Michele Chabin

The Holy Father, who died April 21 on Easter Monday, was recalled as an agent of peace in the war-torn Middle East and beyond. Pope Francis prays during his July 27, 2016, visit to the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz. (photo: praszkiewicz/Shutterstock) Vatican April 22, 2025 JERUSALEM — Jews around the world remembered Pope Francis as a friend to the Jewish people, a leader who strongly supported Catholic-Jewish relations and roundly condemned antisemitism.
As war continues, Israelis express frustrations with Haredi exemption from military service

2 months ago | religionnews.com | Michele Chabin

JERUSALEM (RNS) – When Shari Fisch learned there would be a march and demonstration outside Israel’s parliament building on April 2 to demand universal military conscription, she said she felt compelled to attend. “The IDF doesn’t have enough combat soldiers,” said Fisch, who lives in Jerusalem. “My son’s combat unit has called him three times for miluim,” she said, referring to Israel’s military reserve duty.
New survey explores challenges women face in Jewish divorce system

Mar 27, 2025 | religionnews.com | Michele Chabin

(RNS) — Women around the world who seek Jewish divorces under religious law face “significant systematic challenges that extend far beyond isolated cases,” according to a recently released survey of 450 women from 11 countries who have undergone the process.
New survey explores challenges women face in Jewish divorce system

Mar 27, 2025 | flipboard.com | Michele Chabin

1 day agoCNN — As the sun began to set Tuesday over Somerville, Massachusetts, Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk was on her way to meet friends at an Iftar dinner where they would break their Ramadan fast. But she would never make it to the gathering, according to her attorney. Instead, the 30-year-old was …
Palestinian co-director of Oscar-winning documentary detained, released by Israeli forces

Mar 25, 2025 | religionnews.com | Michele Chabin

JERUSALEM (RNS) — Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was injured by Jewish settlers in the West Bank on Monday night (March 24) and subsequently detained by Israeli security forces, his co-director said. Yuval Abraham, one of the film’s four Israeli and Palestinian co-directors, said on social media that a group of settlers “lynched” Ballal, leaving him with injuries to his head and stomach.