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By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged
Top 10 stories — times two: The Religion News Association used to do one Top 10 list. Now, it splits the year’s biggest headlines into two Top 10 categories: international and domestic.
And still, there is no shortage of important news to go around.
The year’s No. 1 stories — on both fronts — concern the same topic: the Israel-Hamas War, according to balloting by RNA member journalists.
War in the Middle East: Here is how the RNA describes the No. 1 international story:
Hamas launches a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 Israeli civilians and soldiers, and taking about 240 hostages. Following this, Israel begins a full-scale assault in Gaza, killing at least 18,000 civilians and militants. The war reignites intense debates around Palestinian liberation and Zionism, and spikes in Islamophobia and antisemitism worldwide.
Here at ReligionUnplugged.com, Gil Zohar details how a Bethlehem nativity scene has put baby Jesus in the Gaza rubble.
And the war could go on for months, The Associated Press reports.
Hate in the U.S.: Here is how the RNA characterizes the No. 1 domestic story:
Incidents of hate against Jews and Muslims skyrocket after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas against Israel, and Israel’s military assault in Gaza. In Illinois, a Palestinian-American boy is killed and his mother wounded in an alleged hate attack. The conflict prompts numerous protests, and college campuses see fierce debate about the war and the boundaries of free speech. Many Jewish groups and evangelical Christians staunchly support Israel, while many Muslim and progressive religious groups decry Israel’s invasion.
Just today, the lead story in the Los Angeles Times — by David Lauter and Jaweed Kaleem — concerns the rise in antisemitism.
This column appears in the online magazine Religion Unplugged.
Featured image via Shutterstock
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