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04/22 Links Pt2: With empty chairs and forlorn homes, Israelis prepare for solemn Passover; We must not fund UNRWA; Jewish Democrats, wake up!

April 22, 2024, 3:00 pm
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From Ian:

With empty chairs and forlorn homes, Israelis prepare for solemn Passover
Jewish people mark on Monday the start of Passover, a celebration of freedom, and around many holiday tables in Israel chairs will stand empty for hostages still held captive in Gaza.

The weeklong Jewish festival, also known in Hebrew as the “holiday of freedom,” celebrates the Israelites’ liberation from Egyptian slavery, as told in the Bible.

Passover is traditionally observed with a Seder: a holiday feast when families eat symbolic foods and read the Haggadah.

The text, which is nearly 2,000 years old, recounts the Jewish people’s Exodus from Egypt and their ties and yearning for the Holy Land.

For many this year, Passover will be stained by absence and anguish, particularly for the relatives of the hostages, grieving families, and more than 120,000 Israelis displaced from their homes in the north and south of the country because of the war in the Gaza Strip and ongoing hostilities between Israel and the terror group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“All of the symbolic things we do at the Seder will take on a much more profound and deep meaning this year,” said Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersh is being held hostage in Gaza.

These symbols include “the bread of affliction, the bitter herbs, the saltwater that represents the tears of the Jewish people when they were in captivity, in slavery,” she added.


How the Israel-Hamas War shadow looms over the Passover Seder
Undoubtedly, millions will sing that verse this year with intense emotion, closed eyes, clenched fists, and the thought going through their minds that we are just reliving a scene played out time after time. It’s the same idea to destroy the Jews – only the actors on the stage have changed.

Someone will read this text somewhere and say, “Once it was Pharaoh, then Haman, then Torquemada, then Chmielnicki, then Hitler, now Sinwar and Khamenei.” Someone argumentative around that table will ask how one can compare Sinwar to Hitler, to which he who made the comparison will reply: “The intent is the same, only the capabilities are different.”

Some will read or sing that verse and be depressed by the thought that this is the fate of the Jewish people – that in every generation, someone will, indeed, rise up to destroy us. Others will focus on and take solace in the last part, that we will be saved from their hands.

That thought that we will face troubles – terrible troubles – but in the end will prevail is a powerful idea that has sustained the Jewish people throughout more difficult days than these. And it will sustain us during these trying times as well.

There are those on the outside looking at Israel’s current situation – the hot war in Gaza, the war of attrition with Hezbollah in the north, the terrorist war in Judea and Samaria, the frontal confrontation with Iran – and wonder how, and if, Israel will survive.

But Jews sitting around the Seder table laden with the bread of affliction and the Cup of Elijah will think to themselves, yes we will.

They will think: This is the promise. We have been here before, survived, and flourished, and we will do so again. It says so in this timeless text right here, a text Jews have been saying every year for centuries and whose optimism, as if by osmosis, they have internalized. Yes, they will rise up against us generation after generation. We have seen that in the past; we are living it today. But in the end, we will prevail. That, too, we have seen in the past and are living today.

Or, as a more contemporary source – Meir Ariel – wrote in an iconic 1990 song, “We survived Pharaoh, we’ll survive this as well.”

“Today we are slaves,” the Haggadah opens on a down note, but then quickly contrasts it by saying, “next year we shall be free; now we are here, next year in the land of Israel.”

That, too, has been internalized by the Jewish people. An eternal hope and belief that things will get better; that Jewish history has an upward trajectory; and that next year we will be in a rebuilt, peaceful Jerusalem.


Prime Minister’s Office: ‘No family in the world should celebrate like this’
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office released a video on Sunday, ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover, to raise awareness in the United States about the hostages whom Hamas terrorists continue to hold in Gaza.

“All of the various holiday meals around the world are characterized by values of families, closeness and warmth,” the office’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate stated.

“The ‘Empty Chair’ campaign draws attention to the absence of our beloved hostages, who have been held by Hamas for 198 days,” it added. “The campaign shows festive family gatherings and set tables around the customary holidays in the American tradition. Around the table is an empty chair, that breaks the festive atmosphere and around which the family observes sadly.”

“The video ends against the backdrop of a seder night meal with the message that the hostages will not be able to celebrate the Passover holiday with their families, and the call: ‘Let our people go,'” it added. “No family in the world should celebrate like this.”

The video will run on North American digital platforms and online television, per the Prime Minister’s Office.


Gil Troy to fellow Zionists: ‘Grow a spine’
Gil Troy, a distinguished scholar in North American history at McGill University, has a message for supporters of the Jewish state: The status quo is not enough.

“It’s a little crass, but I keep on saying ‘Grow a spine,’” the American-Israeli scholar told JNS. “Even after Oct. 7, many Jews, especially on campus, were much more comfortable having vigils. Look at the other side—their anger. We’re afraid of anger.”

“It’s time for some righteous anger,” Troy added. “Elie Wiesel said, ‘Anger sometimes is the rational response.’”

A native of Queens, N.Y., Troy, 63, who lives in Jerusalem and has penned more than a dozen books on U.S. political history and culture and about Zionism, made clear that he does not encourage tactics that many anti-Israel protesters embrace.

“Never indulge in violence, but a little bit of righteous anger—a little bit of creative mischief, within the bounds of free speech, within the bounds of the law—is the justified response,” Troy told JNS.

Pro-Hamas activists play on fear when they protest in Jewish neighborhoods, at Jewish-funded hospitals and at Jewish community centers. Theirs is “a very calculated strategy to try to make every Jew think twice,” Troy said. “Do I put out my Magen David? Or do I not? Do I show some kind of outward symbol and support Israel and the hostages, or do I not?”

Those who support Israel ought to protest outside the homes of U.S. President Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, Troy suggested.

Zionism has succeeded
Troy, who was a commentator on the CNN documentary series “The Eighties” (2016), “The Nineties” (2017) and “The 2000s” (2018), and who has written for The New York Times and Israeli media, spoke with JNS after completing a new book.

The tentatively titled Why I Am a Zionist: The Oct. 7 Edition follows the title of his 2001 book, Why I Am a Zionist: Israel, Jewish Identity and the Challenges of Today. The scholar told JNS that the new volume is “a series of open letters to the Jewish people, explaining our mission.”

The thrust is to “challenge our peers to start telling their story, sharing their values, giving their vision to the next generation,” Troy said.

The historian believes that the Israel Defense Forces “may have failed” initially in responding to Hamas’s terror attack on Oct. 7, and the Israeli government failed on Oct. 7. But Troy maintains that “Zionism succeeded because it had raised a whole generation of commandos.” The latter “saved the country” and invites “us all not to despair and find inspiration in this difficult moment.”
Jewish Democrats, wake up!
Yet we’ve been told by reporters and commentators at august publications and news networks, leaders of esteemed non-profits, academics at prestigious colleges and universities, and career civil servants at major three-letter federal government agencies that antisemitism is solely a problem of the right.

Yes, fringe right-wing antisemites are a problem. Yes, they should be considered a threat. But they are on the fringe. And because these fringe elements continue to be the near-exclusive target of the left’s so-called “fight against antisemitism,” it’s more apparent than ever that our elites are purposefully engaged in a partisan game.

Right-wing antisemites are kooks and grifters. Left-wing antisemites are college professors, newspaper editors, Hollywood stars, a growing number of Democratic members of Congress and quite a few Biden administration officials. They have immense cultural and political influence, and they are decisively shaping the future of America.

So, if you’re a Jewish Democrat still more concerned about a pimply online provocateur than the DEI-obsessed ideologue sporting a keffiyeh and running the HR department at your Fortune 500 employer, you’re very confused.

If you’re a Jewish Democrat still more frightened by a handful of Klan members a thousand miles away in a Podunk town than the Islamists waving terrorist flags on your child’s college campus and calling for the murder and the liquidation of your entire people, you’re delusional.

More and more liberals are waking up to the reality of Jew-hatred, not as it manifested in 1924 or 1954 but as it exists today in 2024. Alas, not enough of you have done so.

If you care about Israel, the battle against antisemitism is inescapably political. As the saying goes, “Elections have consequences.” Those who genuinely want to combat Jew-hatred must focus on the clear and present danger: The hundreds of thousands of pro-terrorist goons who march in broad daylight in cities, on campuses and in halls of power across the country calling for genocide and the extermination of Western civilization.
The Jewish wolf
These accusations against Israel are proven time and again to be false. The missile that supposedly Israel fired at the Al-Ahli Baptist hospital and was immediately reported by the BBC as causing 500 deaths turned out to be fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Images of famine supposedly sweeping a city come mainly from Syria, and even the latest plot quoted by the UN, alleging Israeli soldiers committed rape against Palestinian women in Shifa hospital, was denied by the Palestinians themselves.

This is exactly the case with the malicious claim that Israel deliberately, not accidentally, killed international aid workers, even though Israeli hostages and even about a fifth of IDF casualties were killed accidentally due to Israeli fire, a common occurrence in combat zones, certainly in densely populated combat areas like the Gaza Strip.

The dissemination of lies or "fake news" by the Palestinians is, as mentioned, systematic. The Wikipedia entry "Pallywood" dedicated to the Palestinian industry of falsehoods includes a long-documented list of the "dead rising," staged scenes, and productions that undoubtedly should have earned their creators an Oscar.

Every rational person must ask themselves: Hamas did not embark on a raid or a limited war. Its explicit instructions to its fighters were to murder, mutilate bodies, rape women, and burn babies. All these were aimed at one goal: declaring a war from which there is no return in the most barbaric way possible, forcing Israel to respond with full force.

This seems utterly irrational, a terror organization that controls an area where civilians have no protection, forces a regional military power to strike it in fury. It has no artillery, no air force, and no way to contend with the Israeli navy. So, what exactly is Hamas's war plan based on?

Well, it is based on you. On the global public opinion. Hamas took the bias against the Jewish state and the Western moral distortion flooded with horrifying images of the "genocide" taking place in Gaza. These images were cynically created with the intention as part of Hamas's war plan. Together with a fake news campaign and anti-Israel (and now we can also admit antisemitic) protests, they pressure Western leaders to bind Israel and grant them victory on the way to the destruction of the Jewish state.

Hamas knows that despite such lies being exposed time and again, so many in the world, not just individuals but also seemingly reputable media outlets, rush to adopt them without any doubt or a minimum of critical scrutiny. Why?

Every swindler knows that the most effective deception is one the victim wants to believe in. They yearn to believe that quick profits can be made, thus their defense of skepticism and doubt weakens. This is precisely how those "simpletons" who rush to angrily lynch the Jewish state after the publication of any plot, no matter how illogical, behave. They are eager to buy into this narrative.

Now the question arises, why are there those who are eager to adopt Hamas's propaganda? Do they really aspire to be the artillery, air force, and navy fighting on behalf of a barbaric terror organization? Why do they surge forth with such urgency and fervent wrath to aid a vile terrorist organization, even as it cries "wolf wolf!" for the millionth time?
To Be on Everyone’s Side Is to Be on No One’s
It’s not hard to figure out the reason for this paradox. Peacekeeping operations are neither designed to nor capable of snuffing out conflict completely; instead, they keep hostilities simmering, often prolonging conflicts that could’ve been ended with swift and decisive military operations. To support a measured response against Hamas, then, isn’t to spare the people of Gaza; it’s merely to condemn them to decades more of suffering inflicted largely by the same monsters who repeatedly send women and children into the line of fire to serve as human shields.

To be clear, I don’t intend this last point to be read as simple calculus, balancing out two columns of numbers and opting for the one that leaves us with fewer dead. I mean it, rather, as a reminder that human faculties alone are incapable of crafting a mighty moral engine, which is why, from time immemorial, we’ve put our faith in a higher power. That is why Soren Kierkegaard, writing about the maddening and inexplicable story of the binding of Isaac, determined that religion transcended mere ethics because life, death, love, mercy, and hope all emanate from God, not from our best intentions. “When a rich man goes driving at night with lights on his carriage,” the great Dane wrote, “he sees a small area better than the poor man who drives in the dark but he does not see the stars. The lights prevent that. It is the same with all intellectual understanding. It sees well close at hand but takes away the infinite outlook.”

Yet even if you don’t much care for infinite outlooks or, for that matter, for God, there’s still one more moral objection to consider. If you, like me, treat Palestinians with dignity and respect, if you see them as moral agents capable of discerning between right and wrong, you ought to expect that they do precisely what you’re doing right now and care for you as you care for them. And yet, reading Arabic and scouring the web for any expression of solidarity from the people of Gaza, I found few if any. Gazans aren’t taking to the streets, the way their sisters and brothers in Cairo and Tunis and Damascus had, to topple their murderous regime. They aren’t taking to social media to exchange messages with Israelis and share their outrage that babies were beheaded and women raped in their name. They aren’t pleading with their leaders to try different, peaceful measures.

Instead, Palestinian support of Hamas has been both strong and consistent. In June 2021, a poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research based in Ramallah found that 53% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza chose Hamas to be their preferred leaders; the same question, posed in July 2023 by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, revealed that “57% of Gazans express at least a somewhat positive opinion of Hamas.” And when the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion asked, in 2014, whether or not they support terror attacks against Israelis, nine out of 10 Palestinians answered in the affirmative.

These numbers haven’t changed since. In March 2024, more than five months after Oct. 7, the same Palestinian research center released a survey of Palestinians living in both Gaza and the West Bank, and it showed Hamas with 52% support from ordinary people in Gaza and 64% in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority (PA) trails Hamas in popular opinion by 31% in Gaza and by 46% among Palestinians overall. The plan for a “reformed and revitalized” PA backed by a U.S.-Arab coalition was opposed by 73% of Palestinians, while the leader with the highest popularity in both Gaza and the West Bank is Marwan Barghouti—the leader of the Second Intifada.

None of this is to say that we shouldn’t opt, whenever possible, for military options that minimize civilian casualties. And none of it is to argue that we must remain iron-hearted when we come across images of suffering Gazans roaming amid the rubble of their towns. But there’s nothing noble in binding our suffering to theirs. There are more than 130 civilians still caged in Gaza by Hamas, some of them children. There’s nothing complex or intricate, noble or commendable or even particularly difficult about caring for anything or anyone else until these innocents return home.
Bari Weiss: They Were Assaulted on Campus for Being Jews
For a second, imagine that black students at Columbia were taunted: Go back to Africa. Or imagine that a gay student was surrounded by homophobic protesters and hit with a stick at Yale University. Or imagine if a campus imam told Muslim students that they ought to head home for Ramadan because campus public safety could not guarantee their security.

There would be relentless fury from our media and condemnation from our politicians.

Just remember the righteous—and rightful—outrage over the white supremacist “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, where neo-Nazis chanted “The Jews will not replace us.”

This weekend at Columbia and Yale, student demonstrators did all of the above—only it was directed at Jews. They told Columbia students to “go back to Poland.” A Jewish woman at Yale was assaulted with a Palestinian flag. And an Orthodox rabbi at Columbia told students to go home for their safety.

Demonstrators on these campuses shouted more chic versions of “Jews will not replace us.” At Columbia they screamed: “Say it loud and say it clear, we don’t want no Zionists here.” At Yale they blasted bad rap with the following lyrics:

Fuck Israel, Israel a bitch / Bitch we out here mobbin’ on some Palestine shit / Free Palestine bitch, Israel gon’ die bitch / Nigga it’s they land why you out here tryna rob it / Bullshit prophets, y’all just want the profit

These campus activists are not simply “pro-Palestine” protesters. They are people who are openly celebrating Hamas and physically intimidating identifiably Jewish students who came near. We are publishing the accounts of two of those students—Sahar Tartak and Jonathan Lederer—today.
Biden condemns ‘antisemitic protests’ and ‘those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians’
President Biden on Monday said he condemns antisemitic protests amid escalating pro-Palestine demonstrations at Columbia University and on other U.S. college campuses.

“I condemn the antisemitic protests, that’s why I set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians and their, how they’re being —,” the president said before getting cut off.

He was then asked if the Columbia University president should resign and replied, “I don’t know that.”

Just before taking questions from reporters, Biden was talking with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who has been an outspoken voice during the war in the Israel-Hamas war and last month claimed that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

'We're going to talk more about another part of the world too real quickly,' he said - a hint they would talk about the Middle East after the official program ended.

Biden and the New York Democrat could be seen huddling afterward and also holding hands as they walked offstage.

Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders and Markey rode Marine One back to the White House with Biden and headed into the Oval Office.

The president and the so-called Squad, which includes AOC, haven't seen eye to eye on the topic of Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terror attack.

Fellow Squad member Rep. Ilhan Omar's daughter Isra Hirsi was arrested and then later suspended for taking part in anti-Israel demonstrations on Columbia's campus, which have gone on for days.


'Listen to that lady': Biden demands voters pay attention to AOC as she PRAISES anti-Israel mobs causing causing chaos at Columbia and Yale
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez applauded pro-Palestinian protesters Monday as she opened for President Joe Biden at an Earth Day event in Virginia. AOC and fellow progressives, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey, were tapped to be the opening act at an event in which the president announced an expansion of the American Climate Corps, a green jobs training program, and more money toward residential solar panels. When it was Ocasio-Cortez's turn to speak she noted that Biden's federal investment in climate change came about due to the 'power of organizing' - bringing together 'young people, climate advocates, labor organizers and working people of all backgrounds.''It is especially important that we remember the power of young people shaping this country today, of all days, as we once again witness the leadership of those peaceful student-led protests on campuses like Columbia and Yale and Berkeley and many others,' Ocasio-Cortez said. Moments later, Biden came onstage and commended AOC, telling the crowd, 'You know, I learned a long time ago - listen to that lady, listen to that lady.'


Why Is Tonight Different From All Other UN Defaults on Israel?
The United Nations has a habit of inflicting diplomatic plagues on Israel during major Jewish holidays. So why would tonight be different from all others? A report casting doubt on Israel’s documentation of Hamas’ infiltration of Turtle Bay’s top Gaza organ, the UN Relief and Works Agency, is issued as Israelis sit down at the Seder table. The 49-page report was cooked up to ensure that Unrwa’s funding would resume.

Secretary-General Guterres named a long-time Unrwa supporter, Catherine Colonna, a former French foreign minister, to address a brewing crisis when Israel documented that 12 Unrwa employees participated in Hamas’s October 7 atrocities. According to an Israel Defense Force analysis, 2,135 Unrwa employees, or 17 percent of its staff, are Hamas members. “However,” the Colonna report now claims, “Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this.”

At the Quai D’Orsay, Ms. Colonna was a major cheerleader for Unrwa. She eagerly promoted France’s role as one of the world’s top fund contributors to the agency. No wonder Mr. Guterres picked her and three sympathetic Scandinavian charities to issue an “independent” review of Unrwa. No wonder her report makes the fantastic claim that Unrwa has a “more developed approach to neutrality than other similar UN or NGO entities.”

Sure, there are “problems,” Ms. Colonna admits, and proposes bureaucratic measures to address them. Mr. Guterres dutifully leaped to announce he would act on the recommendations. The whole exercise was designed to give world governments a fig leaf to renew funds that were suspended after IDF troops in Gaza discovered how deeply Hamas managed to infiltrate the agency. America, the largest donor, suspended Unrwa funding in January.
Review says UNRWA has 'robust' neutrality steps, issues persist
A review of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has found that it has robust frameworks to ensure compliance with humanitarian neutrality principles though issues persist, in a report which could prompt some donors to review funding freezes.

The report, released on Monday, also said Israel had yet to provide supporting evidence for its claim - based on a staff list it was given in March - that a significant number of UNRWA staff were members of terrorist organizations.

The United Nations appointed former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna to lead the UNRWA neutrality review in February after Israel alleged that 12 UNRWA staff took part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, which triggered the Gaza war.

Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying over 450 UNRWA staff were military operatives in Gaza terrorist groups.

Israel's mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Colonna-led review.

UN report says Israel has yet to provide evidence of claims
In a separate investigation, a UN oversight body is looking into the Israeli allegations against the 12 UNRWA staff.

Reuters reviewed a copy of the Colonna-led review's final report before it was made public.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accepted the recommendations, his spokesperson said, calling on all countries to actively support UNRWA as it is "a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region."

The report said Israel had made public claims based on a UNRWA staff list provided to it in March that "a significant number" of UNRWA staff were members of "terrorist organizations."

"However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this," it said.

Israel's allegations against the dozen UNRWA staff led 16 states to pause or suspend funding of $450 million to UNRWA, a blow to an agency grappling with the humanitarian crisis that has swept Gaza since Israel launched its offensive there.


Is it time to redefine the US' role in Palestinian aid? - opinion
USIEA proposes scrapping UNRWA for a new entity it calls the Alternate Gazan Education System Fund. The program would be administered by current funders of UNRWA as well as interested countries that are signed on to the Abraham Accords. Under USIEA’s plan, Saudi Arabia would also join after normalizing its relationship with Israel.

The program includes revamping teacher education, developing a new curriculum for Gazan schools, and bringing in foreign teachers to conduct classes until local teachers can be vetted and properly educated.

Gazan teachers would be required to go through a course called “Teaching to Coexist” before they could teach in Gazan schools.

“Reevaluating what and how we teach the next generation can make enormous strides toward peace in the Middle East. That would be the best gift we could give the next generation,” EJ Kimball, director of policy and strategic operations at USIEA, told The Media Line.

While the proposal has gained some traction amongst US lawmakers, it has its opponents, too.

Dr. Brian K. Barber, a senior nonresident scholar at the Washington, DC-based Middle East Policy Council, described USIEA’s white paper as “a transparent attempt to accomplish Israel’s historic effort to dispense with UNRWA.” “As such, it fails to persuade both on practical and moral grounds,” he told The Media Line.

Barber said that placing “teaching to coexist” as a central tenet in the Gazan education system was hard to imagine. “Can one seriously imagine trying to teach a population to coexist with a military power that has historically and recently destroyed their homes and schools, killed their family members, and brought them to starve? Just what would that coexistence look like?” he said.

USIEA’s white paper describes UNRWA as “a compromised agency that became entangled with the Hamas apparatus in Gaza.” The proposal also describes UNRWA textbooks as antisemitic and anti-Israel, claiming that children educated in UNRWA schools are “indoctrinated to hate their Jewish neighbors.”

Barber called the white paper misleading on several points.

Regarding the claim that Gazan youth have been indoctrinated to hate Jews and Israelis, Barber cited research he has carried out with youth at UNRWA schools in Gaza since 1994.

“Our data has shown overwhelmingly that Gazan youth have been peace-oriented, wishing only to enjoy basic human rights and future opportunity for education, family formation, and employment,” he said.

UNRWA also disagrees with USIEA’s assertions of misconduct.

“On schoolbooks, we have seen repeated claims to this effect over the years and we reject them,” Fowler said. Something has to change

The March 2023 IMPACT-se report found 25 examples of UNRWA-created content taught in UNRWA schools during the 2022-2023 school year that endorse violence, encourage martyrdom, demonize Israel, reject Israel’s right to exist, or promote antisemitism.

UNRWA’s spokesperson also rejected a claim that senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was once a teacher in an UNRWA school.

That claim was reported last month by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a non-profit news organization that monitors and reports on Arabic language media outlets. MEMRI posted a translation of an interview with Ahmad Oueidat, former director of UNRWA’s professional development and curriculum unit, who said that both Haniyeh and Dr. Talal Naji, the secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine—General Command, were both former UNRWA educators.

For parties both supportive of and opposed to UNRWA’s role in the Gazan education system, it’s clear that something in Gaza has got to change.

“The path forward for Gazan education once the bombings have stopped would be to rebuild and repair the damaged and destroyed schools and create fully safe passage of students and teachers to resume instruction,” Barber said. “The US and other international actors should devote all of their efforts, available resources, and influence to induce Israel to loosen its strangling and humiliating control of Palestinians, within and outside of Gaza.”
We must not fund UNRWA
Soon after reports emerged that a number of staff at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) were accused of taking part in the October 7 attack, Britain – along with many other Western nations – rightly suspended payments to the body. Senior Tory MPs are now urging the Foreign Secretary not to restore UK funding to the agency, arguing it would be a “disgrace” to do so.

They are right. The accusations of participation were not a bolt from the blue. The links between Hamas and the UNRWA are deep and well documented. Even in this current conflict, UNRWA has quoted Hamas figures on Palestinian casualties without caveat. In February, the Israel Defense Forces said it had found a terrorist data centre running partly under the agency’s headquarters. Israel’s defence minister has said that more than 1,400 of UNRWA’s 13,000 workers in Gaza are members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

But the problem with the agency goes deeper. It is becoming an insurmountable barrier to a peaceful solution. The 706 schools UNRWA operates have frequently fuelled an ideology defined by the rejection of Israel and helped radicalise generations of young Palestinians. A recent report compiled by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education uncovered geography textbooks with no mention of Israel, showing “Palestine” in its place. An Islamic studies book describes the goals of jihad as “terrorising the enemy” and “achieving martyrdom”.
Ex-Mossad spy whose novel predicted October 7 fears for Israel’s future
His writing anticipated a Hamas attack on Israeli kibbutzim and an Iranian strike from the skies, but former Mossad spy turned thriller author Mishka Ben-David is now concerned about what lies ahead.

Since the October 7 Hamas attack, one of 72-year-old Ben-David’s bestsellers has taken on an eerily prophetic tone.

Published in 2017, “The Shark” describes a deadly conflict that starts with a Hamas terror raid on kibbutzim near the Gaza border and culminates in a devastating Israeli attack on Iran in retaliation.

Last weekend, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, which now appears to be preparing a response to this unprecedented attack. The vast majority of the missiles and drones were shot down by Israel and its allies.

The crisis is now “just a few steps” from the apocalyptic events envisioned in his book, Ben-David, the son of a Holocaust survivor, said calmly as he welcomed AFP to his home in the hills around Jerusalem.

Botched assassination bid
The dystopian opening pages of “The Shark” describe Hamas men breaking into Kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel.

Seven years after the book’s publication, the kibbutz was among the hardest hit in the Palestinian terrorist organization’s October 7 attack, with dozens killed. In total, terrorists killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 253.

While researching for the book, the prolific author visited Israeli kibbutzim bordering Gaza, wondering: “Where would be the best place for Hamas to attack?”

“I thought [the area] is not protected for a scenario like this,” he said.
Yisrael Medad: On Jabotinsky's Views on Arabs
Jabotinsky gives this assessment not only to the Arabs, but also to Islam in general. In the article “Islam” (1924), Jabotinsky points out a number of cases in which a handful of European soldiers managed to defeat vastly superior Arab or Muslim forces. The Italian victory over the Senu Sith in 1911 in Tripoli, the victory of the French expeditionary force over Faisal in Damascus in 1920 - all this serves as decisive proof for Jabotinsky of the significant superiority of the West.

“I am not writing this to humiliate or ridicule the Arabs; I have no doubt about their military valor... In our time, war is a scientific and financial matter; backward peoples cannot do it.”

This backwardness is not only a matter of time, according to Jabotinsky, as far as the Muslim world is concerned. “Its real power in the future will be even less than before,” he says, objecting in particular to those who believed that Britain was forced to reckon with the Arab and Muslim factor in its Middle East policy. The Muslim world does not represent—and will not represent—a political force, as Jabotinsky says in the same article: “220 million people or even more profess Islam; but “Islam” as an integral factor in international relations does not exist... in the same way it is possible now, as it was possible a hundred years ago, to bring a conflict with any Muslim people to any end, without risking any complications of a pan-Islamic nature... As a political fist … Islam does not exist.”

If this concept defines Jabotinsky's position in assessing Arab nationalism, then it is clear that his conclusions regarding the demands of the “Palestinian” Arabs are unambiguous. Testifying before the British Royal Commission on Palestine (Peel Commission) in 1937, Jabotinsky demands the establishment of a Jewish state throughout the land of Israel in accordance with the basic principles of the revisionist movement and continues: “We unanimously affirm that the economic situation of the Arabs in the country is in the period of Jewish settlement, and thanks to Jewish settlement, is the envy of neighboring Arab countries to such an extent that Arabs from these countries show a clear tendency to migrate to Palestine. And I have already shown you that, in our opinion, there is no need to oust the Arabs. On the contrary, we mean that Palestine on both sides of the Jordan will accommodate both the Arabs and their descendants and many millions of Jews. I do not deny that in the course of this process the Arabs will inevitably become a minority in Palestine. However, I deny that this will cause them suffering. This is not a misery for any race or nation if it already has so many nation-states and many more nation-states will be added to them in the future. One part, one branch of this race, and by no means the most significant, will join the state belonging to others in order to live in it... This is a completely normal thing, and there is no “suffering” in it.”

Note that Jabotinsky does not argue that, compared with the Jewish claims to Eretz Israel, the Arab claims are less valid or that, compared with the possibility of the Jews remaining in the minority, the situation in which part of the Arab nation will be a minority in the Jewish state will be a lesser disaster and will entail less hardship.

For him, turning the Arabs in Palestine into a minority will not cause them any trouble at all. Personal rights, of course, will be granted to them - but on a national level they have no claims. Here the right is not opposed to the right and 13* 387 claims - claims, as Weizmann and his like-minded people saw it. From Jabotinsky’s point of view, everything that was once said about Jews in the Diaspora can also be said about Arabs in Palestine: the Arabs of this country as individuals have everything, but as a collective nothing."


The Quad: Fmr. Al-Qaeda Bride: There is No Hope for Peace After Oct. 7th
This week, the Quad (Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Emily Schrader, Vivian Bercovici and Ashira Solomon) discuss the recent massive Iranian strike against Israel - what they felt when it was happening and what it means for the future.

They also interview fmr. Al-Qaeda bride, ex- extremist, author and activist Yasmine Mohammed on why she is visiting Israel now, what the prospects are for peace and what the West doesn't understand about Islamic extremism.


Literary lemmings now coalesce around Hamas
There was a time when literature and its creators were associated with the subversive. Books were banned because of content deemed dangerous to the prevailing regime. In Germany in the 1930s, this was anything by Jews and intellectuals. In Britain, censorship laws made the publishing of work containing explicit sex illegal until Lady Chatterley’s Lover broke through the prim legal carapace. In Soviet dictatorships, particularly Russia, writers had to toe the party line or die; in North Korea today, a cabal of novelists are under orders to write stories glorifying the Dear Leader. In much of the Islamic world too, subversion is also punishable by death. Just ask Salman Rushdie. PEN International’s tagline is: “Promoting literature and defending freedom of expression worldwide since 1921.”

Today, writers in the West – the freest in the world – ought to be flying high the standard of that freedom, embracing independence of thought and unusual thinking.

Instead, we’re seeing the grim opposite, a lemming-like coalescence around the propaganda machine of Hamas, Palestinian activism and the worst of so-called progressive sloganeering. Far from promoting “freedom of expression worldwide”, the literary world of today has embraced a cruel campaign of bullying, banning and boycotting anyone it deems associated with Israel, namely Jews. This uniformly venomous response to Israel’s self-defence could not be further from the spirit of subversion that used to define the writerly world. It’s as boring as it is nasty.

On cue, as soon as Israel began its campaign in Gaza, writers slavishly united in “vilifying the Jewish state, or Jewish writers,” according to Erika Dreifus, a writer living in New York who has curated a site for Jewish writers that now offers a list of magazines for them to avoid.

It’s worse – more pointed, more aggressive and nastier – than one might have imagined, at least in the pre-October 7 world, where antisemitism at least wore something of a mask, albeit a transparent one. Take the deeply unfortunate resignation of Jina Moore, formerly editor of the literary magazine Guernica, who had been forced to retract an essay she had published by the British-Israeli writer Joanna Chen. The essay had been an emotional narrative of the desire to co-exist with Palestinians and was eminently left-wing and peace-embracing. But Chen herself was deemed too Israeli and therefore an apologist for “genocide” in Gaza.
FDD: Crack Down on Anti-Semitic K–12 Curricula
Anti-Semitism is spreading in K–12 school districts. Even in primary and secondary education, Jews are often viewed as privileged whites and oppressors, with Israel branded as an egregious example of “settler colonialism” and oppression of “indigenous people.” “Liberated ethnic studies” curricula, like the one mandated by California, have created a distinct variant of critical theory aimed at Jews for being Zionist colonial oppressors.

Teachers’ unions are the leading purveyors of this approach. Two years ago, the United Educators of San Francisco adopted a resolution calling for a boycott of Israel. The Chicago Teachers Union instigated pro-Hamas demonstrations in the Windy City after October 7. The union persuaded Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson (a former CTU lobbyist) to condemn Israel in the city council, and it organized a student and faculty “walkout” to show solidarity with Hamas—a city-authorized event that left Jewish students and teachers feeling intimidated. In suburban Seattle, kids as young as seven were recently encouraged to condemn Israel and join in anti-Semitic chants. Oakland Unified School District faces a federal investigation after 30 Jewish families removed their kids from school due to rampant anti-Semitism. And at a high school in New York City, hundreds of students hunted down a female teacher they saw on social media holding a sign supporting Israel.

Marxist ideology is the primary culprit influencing this mind-set, but not the only one. Qatar, a tiny Persian Gulf country that supports Hamas, is funding anti-Semitic “scholarship” not only in American universities but also in K–12 schools. Qatar Foundation International gave $1 million to the New York City Department of Education between 2019 and 2022 for a program featuring a map of the Middle East that erases the Jewish state. The same story played out at a public charter school in Irving, Texas. What other districts in the country might be taking money directly or indirectly from a chief Hamas sponsor? Brown University’s Choices Program, used by more than 1 million high school students nationwide, exhibits a clear anti-Israel bias. According to Brown, the Qataris “purchased and distributed a selection of existing Choices curriculum units to 75 teachers whose districts didn’t have funding to buy them.”

Tools to fight back, however, are available. Governors and state legislatures can begin by blocking “ethnic studies” from the K–12 curriculum and by imposing new teacher-certification requirements. To curb foreign meddling, states should ban school funding or in-kind donations from entities connected with countries that harbor U.S.-designated terrorist organizations. School districts and state boards of education should use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of anti-Semitism to root out conduct meeting its standard. Several groups sued the Santa Ana, California, school district in state court for failing to notify parents before approving ethnic studies courses that contain anti-Jewish bias and for harassing Jewish parents at school board meetings.
‘I will carry the pain with me forever’: IDF intelligence chief resigns
Israel’s top military intelligence official has announced his resignation and said he will “carry the pain” of October 7 forever.

Major General Aharon Haliva, chief of the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate has become the first senior Israeli figure to step down after the IDF’s failure to prevent the Hamas terror attacks.

Haliva wrote in his letter of resignation, released earlier today: “The intelligence division under my command did not live up to the task we were entrusted with. I have carried that black day with me ever since, day after day, night after night. I will carry the pain with me forever.”

According to a statement by the military, Haliva requested to terminate his position in co-ordination with the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen Herzi Halevi and with the approval of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. He will remain in his post “until the completion of the investigative phase” and until a replacement is appointed.

Haliva said he believed that for “the sake of the State of Israel, for the sake of the people of Israel, and for the sake of future generations” a national commission should investigate the failures of October 7 in a “thorough, in-depth, comprehensive, and precise manner.”

In the days immediately after October 7, Haliva accepted responsibility for the security failures that led to the Hamas terror attacks which resulted in the massacre of roughly 1,200 people in Israel.

At the time, Haliva called the massacre an “intelligence failure,” saying in a statement: “The Military Intelligence Directorate, under my command, failed to warn of the terror attack carried out by Hamas. We failed in our most important mission, and as the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, I bear full responsibility for the failure.”
VR project features five survivors of Oct. 7 Hamas massacre
“It all started after I joined the fight on October 7 against Hamas terrorists invading the Israeli communities bordering the Gaza Strip,” says Nimrod Palmach, CEO of Israel-is, which partners with producer Stephen D. Smith in the virtual reality “Be the Witness” initiative.

Israel-is an NGO dedicated to improving Israel’s image.

Part of the “Survived to Tell” project, “Be the Witness” features the stories of five survivors of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre.

Participants in the project wear VR goggles and relive the journey of one of five survivors, including Ofir Engel, who spent 54 days in Hamas captivity, and Mazal Tazazo, who was beaten and tied up by Hamas at the Supernova music festival on Oct. 7 as they shot and killed two of her friends.

“I was shocked by the inhuman barbarism of Hamas. Even though we were in 2023, it felt like 1943,” Palmach, 39, tells JNS.

“During the inferno, I asked myself who would believe me. I realized that I had become an eyewitness to one of the worst atrocities perpetrated against humankind,” he adds.

“I was driving towards Jerusalem on October 7 as a barrage of rockets targeted Israel. I had this gut feeling telling me I should head south and drove there, armed only with my pistol,” Palmach says.

He and a friend, Kiril Shutko, engaged terrorists outside Kibbutz Alumim. When he ran out of ammunition, Palmach took up the weapon of a soldier who died fighting the invaders.

“The team I fought with prevented 30 Hamas terrorists from entering Kibbutz Alumim. They sought to replicate the massacre in Kibbutz Be’eri,” Palmach says.


‘We will dance again,’ assures New York exhibit on Nova music festival
An exhibit that captures an inescapable moment in time opened in Manhattan on Sunday, affording New Yorkers the chance to experience the darkness and the light of the Nova music festival in southern Israel.

Following a showing in Tel Aviv in December and January, the 35,000-square-foot multimedia Nova exhibit, “Oct. 7, 6:29 a.m., the Moment Music Stood Still,” consists of video displays from the GoPro devices that Hamas terrorists used to document their atrocities as well as artifacts of the massacre: parts of tents, sandals, blankets, cell phones and prayer books.

Visitors also walk among burnt-out cars and bullet-ridden portable restrooms, as well as the main stage of the festival and its dance area. Screens display video footage of attendees dancing and their frantic messages of despair after the attack began.

The exhibit attempts to recreate the scene of the Nova massacre, where Hamas terrorists paraglided into a festival of peace and music, turning it into a killing ground, murdering 364 people and taking others hostage, while committing acts of sexual violence and other barbarity.

Tomer Meir, 21, who escaped the festival with 14 of his friends, was on hand at the exhibit press preview. Meir, who lives in Givatayim, east of Tel Aviv, told JNS that he has lost some 15 friends in the war after Oct. 7.

He told JNS that it’s important for Americans to truly comprehend what type of evil Israel is dealing with and that the world faces as well.

“I hope they will understand that it doesn’t matter who you are because they just want to kill everyone,” Meir said of Hamas. “If I’m a boy or a girl, a baby, if I just wanted a chance to dance with my friends—they just want to kill anyone.”

“I hope that people that came to the exhibit will get the idea that Hamas is the worst thing that we have in the world right now, and they will help Israel stop them,” Meir said.


City AM corrects erroneous Gaza casualty figures
An article published at City AM (“Fifa to discuss banning Israel from football after five countries back Palestine’s proposal”, April 18) included the following:

The Palestinian Football Association has called on Fifa to “adopt appropriate sanctions” against their Israeli counterparts which could result in bans for Israel’s national teams and clubs.

It cited “unprecedented international human rights and humanitarian law violations committed by Israel” in Palestine and in particular Gaza, where Israel is accused of killing more than 40,000 people during the current conflict.

We complained to City AM editors, noting that not even Hamas – whose fatality numbers have recently come under scrutiny by the UK Statistics Authority – is claiming that the numbers are that high, placing the total at under 34,000. Our complaint was upheld and the sentence revised.

It cited “unprecedented international human rights and humanitarian law violations committed by Israel” in Palestine and in particular Gaza, where Israel is accused of killing more than 30,000 people during the current conflict.

A version of the City AM article which was published at Yahoo Finance was similarly corrected.
Omissions in BBC coverage of Qatari PM’s statement
Remarkably, BBC audiences are not told why Qatar has “close ties to Hamas” or what that means on a practical level.

Moreover, while the original version of the report included the following statement, that paragraph was removed around five hours later.

“Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed – whose country hosts many of Hamas’s political leaders – said mediators were trying to keep the ceasefire negotiations going despite the disagreements between the warring parties.”

Hence, in the version of the report currently online, BBC audiences are told nothing of Qatar’s hosting of Hamas leaders for well over a decade or of its history of support for the Muslim Brotherhood. Neither do readers find any information concerning Qatar’s years of supplying funding to Hamas, the role played by the Qatari media outlet Al Jazeera in promoting Hamas propaganda or Qatar’s blaming of Israel for the current conflict immediately following the atrocities of October 7th.

Whatever the strategic reasons behind the Qatari prime minister’s public statements about ‘reassessment’ of its role as one of the mediators between Hamas and Israel and whether or not that statement is linked to unverified rumours concerning Hamas relocation, it is clear that the BBC’s failure to provide readers with the full range of information concerning Qatar’s status as a Hamas asset hampers audience understanding of this story and its potential implications.


Most Israelis against Palestinian state for defense pact
A majority of Israelis oppose agreeing in principle to the future establishment of a Palestinian state in exchange for a permanent regional defense agreement, according to the 15th “War in Gaza” survey published by the Israel Democracy Institute on Sunday.

The question was asked about a Palestinian state against the backdrop of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Jordan helping to fend off the massive Iranian drone and missile assault on Israel on April 13.

In addition, the Biden administration is pushing for a pathway to a Palestinian state as part of a normalization agreement between Riyadh and Jerusalem. It would include a defense package and security guarantees.

A total of 55.6% of the Israeli public are against linking Palestinian statehood to a regional defense pact (37.2% certainly against and 18.4% think it should not be). Among Israeli Jews, the proportion of certain respondents against a Palestinian state rises to 44.2% with 19.5% saying they think it should not be agreed to, for a total of 63.7% against.

In contrast, a large majority of Arab Israelis in general (74%) and Israeli Jews identifying with the political left (69%) say they support such an arrangement, while only 32% of Israeli Jews in the center and 14.5% on the right support this sort of deal.

The survey was carried out after Iran’s April 13 missile and drone attack on Israel and before the April 19 retaliatory strike on the Islamic Republic attributed to Jerusalem. Tehran said that its aerial assault was in revenge for the April 1 killing of a top Quds Force commander in Damascus that the regime blamed on the Jewish state.

An overwhelming 80% majority of Jewish Israeli respondents said that killing the Iranian commander in Damascus was the correct move despite the military response from the mullah regime.

Among Arab Israelis, 67% think it was the wrong course of action, while 45% of Israeli Jews on the left took this stance, underscoring the deep divide between Arabs and left-wing Jews, and the rest of Israeli society (77% of Israeli Jews in the center and 90.5% on the right support the strike).
Congressmembers explain their votes against foreign aid for Ukraine and Israel
Meanwhile, when it came to the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, opposition, while more bipartisan, was much milder with a 366-58 vote. Congress allotted another $26.38 billion [including $9 Bil to Gaza] to the Middle Eastern ally, with even the aforementioned Bishop and Comer voting for it.

“We’ve seen how [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s government has used US weapons to kill indiscriminately and create famine,” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) wrote on X. “I will not participate in this carnage. … [Netanyahu’s] actions have not led to the release of the remaining hostages. He’s ignored their families. He’s ignored the president of the United States. He’s ignored his own people. We should not be sending offensive weapons to Israel right now.”

“We find ourselves at a dangerous and pivotal moment in the history of our country and world,” Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) wrote. “It is imperative that we invest in diplomacy, democracy, and peacebuilding rather than death, destruction, and mass human suffering. … I will continue to champion these priorities, and push for a world free from war, tyranny, poverty, disease, persecution, and exploitation.”

A group statement from some 20 of the Democratic members was also released after the vote Saturday, including the likes of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), among others. Notably missing was Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the only Palestinian member of Congress, who voted against the measure as well.

“All of us support strengthening the Iron Dome and other defense systems we are committed to a sovereign, safe, and secure future for Israel,” the statement reads. “To protect that future, we believe the United States must help achieve a ceasefire that allows hostages to be freed, humanitarian aid to be delivered, and peace talks to begin. … Most Americans do not want our government to write a blank check to further Prime Minister Netanyahu’s war in Gaza.”
Georgia Democratic party counsel’s wife seems to call for congresswoman’s death after pro-Israel vote
Serene Varghese, whose husband Sachin Varghese is general counsel for the Democratic Party of Georgia, appeared to call for the death of the party’s chair—a U.S. congresswoman—on Saturday after the latter voted for Israel funding.

“Have you thought about booking a Boeing 737 for your next flight to Atlanta?” she wrote in response to a post from Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) about voting for a package that included funding for Israel. “I highly recommend.”

Some Boeing 737 aircraft have been grounded this year following safety issues, and “Boeing now faces renewed questions over its ability to meet quality and safety standards,” NPR reported last month.

“Why would you like her to take a Boeing 737? So it crashes or parts come off while she’s in flight?” responded Esther Panitch, a Georgia state representative and the only Jewish member of the state legislature. “What is wrong with you?”

Panitch added that she is “so disturbed” by Varghese’s “wish for death/injury of Rep. Williams. Serene is the wife of the general counsel for the Democratic Party in Georgia.”

Varghese doubled down when others pointed out that she was threatening a congresswoman’s safety.

“Just in case you haven’t heard, Boeing 737s are the most sold planes in history and still actively flying every day,” she wrote to one person. “Google is such an amazing resource.”

“Sorry I must’ve missed that when I was mourning the loss of entire branches of my family that have been killed off in Gaza,” she said in another response. “But surely, our congresswoman isn’t responsible for funding Israel.”

She added in a post, in which she used an obscene misogynistic term, that “to be fair, I am definitely guilty of calling her a [expletive] and a terrible human being and a garbage human.”


TikTok lawyer endorsed by Galloway for mayoral election says he was sent by Allah to fight Zionism
A TikTok lawyer endorsed by George Galloway for the West Midlands mayoral election has said he believes he has been chosen by Allah to “challenge the Zionist regime”.

Akhmed Yakoob, a social media-savvy criminal defence lawyer who drives a Lamborghini, has claimed that Zionists follow a “fascist ideology” and that they “control everything”.

The comments have led to allegations that Mr Yakoob’s “wild rhetoric” could “damage social cohesion”.

A prolific user of social media, he has more than 177,000 followers on TikTok and uses the platform to promote his business with striking video clips featuring his signature catchphrase: “There is a defence for every offence”.

The approach has brought him considerable financial success, with Mr Yakoob telling The Sun last year that he has a car collection worth £1 million, including two Lamborghinis, a Mercedes Benz G-Class and a Ferrari F8.

Mr Yakoob is now making a foray into politics, which he says is in response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza. He is standing on May 2 to be the West Midlands mayor, and also plans to run against Shabana Mahmood, Labour’s shadow justice secretary, in the general election in Birmingham Ladywood – a constituency with a large Muslim community.

Although running as an independent, he has been endorsed by George Galloway, the veteran hard-Left politician who returned to Parliament as the MP for Rochdale in February.

Mr Yakoob has made a string of controversial comments about Zionism. In a speech in a Dewsbury mosque earlier this month, he said: “I know now why Allah has put me in this position, it’s to challenge the Zionist regime, challenge the elites of this country and the world,” he said. “One thing we have over them is we have Islam. Zionists have no deen [faith], no Islam.

“We are not anti-Semitic, no, we are anti-Zionism,” he said. He claimed that Zionists were “the enemies not only of Islam” but “of Christianity, and they are the enemy of Judaism”. He added: “We live in a world that slowly is getting controlled by these elites.”
Anti-Israel NGO lurks behind impending US sanctions on IDF unit
DAWN (Democracy for the Arab World Now), a U.S.-based NGO that has sought “arrest warrants against Israelis” in international fora, has provided the so-called evidence driving the U.S. State Department’s anticipated sanctions against an Israel Defense Forces battalion, NGO Monitor reports.

“The reported sanctions to be imposed by the U.S. State Department on IDF combat units and individuals stem directly from a coordinated campaign by extreme political NGOs,” said Gerald Steinberg, founder and president of NGO Monitor, in a statement provided to JNS.

“Currently, the leading NGO is DAWN, a U.S.-based tax-exempt organization that has intensified its legal attacks against Israeli officials since October 7,” he said.

In October 2022, DAWN submitted to the State Department a Leahy Law referral against the Netzach Yehuda Battalion for alleged “systematic and widespread abuses.”

(The Leahy Law refers to two provisions prohibiting assistance by the United States to units of foreign forces implicated in the commission of human rights violations.)

On Sunday, the IDF said it is not yet aware of Biden administration-imposed sanctions against the battalion but is monitoring the situation.

However, Israeli leaders reacted sharply to the reports with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister-without-Portfolio Benny Gantz, both members of the War Cabinet, criticizing any sanctions move.
Palestinian arrested in Israeli youth’s terror murder
Israeli security forces arrested a Palestinian suspect in the April 12 terrorist murder of 14-year-old shepherd Binyamin Achimeir following an overnight raid in the Binyamin region of Samaria.

“Overnight, in a joint operation of the Shin Bet, the Israel Police and the IDF, Ahmed Duabsha, 21 years old, a resident of the village of Duma in the Binyamin Brigade [area of deployment], was arrested by the soldiers of the Yamam [Border Police National Counter-Terrorism Unit] and the Shin Bet,” said the statement.

Achimeir’s body was found by a drone on April 13 following a 24-hour-long search, after he went missing while working as a shepherd based in Gal Farm, located just under two miles south of Duma.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned “the heinous murder” of Achimeir, according to a rare statement released by his office on the Jewish day of rest.

“We will get the murderers and those who helped them, as we do to all who harm the citizens of the State of Israel,” the prime minister said.

The security services said on Monday that “during the past day, there was a significant development in the investigation, and during the night, the forces raided the village of Duma and arrested the suspect.”

The statement noted that Duabsha tied himself to the attack during initial questioning. He was taken into Shin Bet custody for further investigation.
Hamas organized confab in 2021 to plot administration of ‘liberated Palestine’
Two years before its October 7 assault on southern Israel, Hamas drafted a “strategic vision” for the governing of “liberated Palestine” after the supposed inevitable demise of the State of Israel.

At a conference held in Gaza in September 2021, Hamas and other Palestinian factions discussed preparations for the future administration of the State of Palestine, intended to make up the whole territory “from the river to the sea,” including the area of the State of Israel.

The conclusions reached at the conference, titled “Promise of the Hereafter – Post-Liberation Palestine,” were publicized by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) in an October 2021 report.

The confab was reportedly funded by Hamas and sponsored by Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.

Today, it is apparent that the conference was not merely a rhetorical exercise, but the expression of a clear intent by Gazan terror factions to destroy Israel, the stated goal of their October 7 onslaught, when some 1,200 were brutally massacred and 253 abducted to Gaza.

That objective was reiterated by former leader Khaled Mashal, who stated in a January interview that October 7 proved that liberating Palestine was a “realistic idea.”


Biden must explain what’s going on with Iran czar Rob Malley
Iran’s decision to launch hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel last weekend offers a painful lesson for President Joe Biden. His policy of hoping to induce better behavior from the Islamic Republic through multibillion-dollar payoffs has been revealed as naive fiction. In fairness to Biden, this fatally misguided assumption that the mullahs want to be good-faith partners isn’t his alone. He inherited it from former President Barack Obama.

Take Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser and all-purpose mini-me. He boasted in 2016 that the administration had misrepresented the 2015 Iran nuclear accord to the public, selling Tehran as more trustworthy than they were. Rhodes added that this was no problem because the media were idiots who were easily fooled. Rhodes was so anti-Israel that his nickname in the Obama White House was “Hamas.”

At least Biden hasn’t brought Rhodes back into the West Wing, but that may be the only good news here. As the Middle East threatens to explode into a wider war, it needs to be asked how we got to the strange place where the White House considers it more important to militarily restrain our ally Israel than our enemy Iran, which has regularly denounced America as “the Great Satan” back to 1979. This is, at best, naivete on a grand scale. But is there more to it?

Here we must turn to the mysterious and troubling case of Rob Malley. He’s the Obama-Biden go-to guy on Iran. Malley holds far-left views on foreign policy, especially the Middle East, that were considered fringe even among Democrats a generation ago but are now deemed normal. Malley worked for President Bill Clinton, then served on the National Security Council during Obama’s second term as the mullah-whisperer. Malley was the driving force behind JCPOA, and once President Donald Trump killed the Iran deal in 2018, Biden brought Malley back into the White House in 2021 expressly to resurrect it.

That hasn’t happened, and it certainly won’t happen now that Iran and Israel are in a de facto open war. The other reason JCPOA isn’t coming back is because Malley’s no longer in the White House. In April 2023, Malley was quietly placed on leave when his security clearances were suspended by the State Department for unspecified reasons. Malley claimed not to know what the problem was and professed that he hoped to return to the White House eventually. In the meantime, Malley was soft-landed at Princeton University.

One year has gone by and we still don’t know why Malley’s long government career came to a screeching halt over some security issue. There are tells. His case was handed from Foggy Bottom over to the FBI for investigation, which means it’s no longer a State Department internal matter since espionage may be involved. Last August, Iranian regime media added fuel to the fire, salaciously publishing a purported State Department memo elaborating that Malley’s Top Secret clearance was pulled due to apparent mishandling of classified information. Efforts by Congress to get answers about the Malley affair led nowhere. For a year, the Biden White House has stonewalled all inquiries.


Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer tell Jewish community: We feel your pain this Pesach
Extremist forces in Britain are threatening to “tear us apart” by exploiting the Gaza conflict to advance a “divisive, hateful ideological agenda”, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said.

His comments come in a column for the JC to mark Passover. In this week’s historic edition, both the prime minister and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer have written columns amid rising anxiety over antisemitism in Britain and concern over the Metropolitan Police’s handling of protests.

Sir Keir focused his Pesach message on the Middle East conflict, affirming a future Labour government’s commitment to Israel’s security in the face of the threat from Tehran while also renewing calls for a two-state solution.

Sir Keir – whose wife and three children are Jewish – said that like other families attending a Seder, “we mark this Passover under a dark cloud”.

While the prime minister addressed the Middle East conflict, hailing the RAF’s part in defending Israel from Iranian missiles and pledging Britain to Israel’s security, his most striking remarks were reserved for the growing tension in this country.

He accused extremists of exploiting “the very human angst that we all feel about the terrible suffering that war brings to the innocent to advance a divisive, hateful ideological agenda”.

He also condemned the police officer who threatened to arrest Campaign Against Antisemitism director Gideon Falter earlier this month because he appeared to be “openly Jewish” when he came across an anti-Israel protest march.

“I share your shock, and anger, that a police officer is telling people that being openly Jewish is provocative” Sunak wrote. “That’s wrong, unconscionable and goes against the multi faith, multi-ethnic democracy we are.”
Rishi Sunak: Rishi Sunak: Forces in Britain are using Gaza for their own divisive agenda

Sir Keir Starmer: Keir Starmer: This year, we celebrate Passover under a dark cloud



Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!

 

 

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Chag sameach!

April 22, 2024, 3:30 pm
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I asked an AI to give me a picture of the biblical plague of frogs. One of the results was properly terrifying: flying frogs.


I wondered if there was a midrash that mentions flying frogs, and the answer is not exactly, but one authority believes that the Hebrew word for frog, tzefardaya, is really two words - tzipor and de'ah, bird and knowledge. 

Wishing everyone* who celebrates Pesach a chag kosher v'sameach!

I won't be blogging until Thursday morning. 

* Not including those who use it as another Jew-washing excuse to bash Israel






Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!

 

 


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04/24 Links: Campus Crazy Special Edition; A howl of rage against civilisation; Columbia prez must go: She’s now privileging antisemitic protesters over all other students

April 24, 2024, 7:00 pm
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From Ian:

Brendan O'Neill: A howl of rage against civilisation
Media-elite sympathisers with Columbia’s Gaza camp claim these pro-Hamas cries, these demands for the obliteration of Israel and this hanging of target signs around the necks of Jews are rare occurrences in an otherwise peaceful protest. Plus, it’s mostly outsiders doing this stuff, they say. I call bullshit. If you create a space in which anti-Semites feel comfortable, so comfortable that they’re happy to openly glorify Hamas’s cosmic racist violence, then that’s on you.

What’s more, the insistence that it’s ‘only’ a few voices celebrating 7 October, just a handful of agitators who are are cheering the rape, kidnap and murder of Jews, is desperate bordering on sick. That there are any such voices in and around one of the highest seats of learning in modern America should be viewed as unsettling in the extreme. Anyone who cares for the future of academia, and for the future of the West, should be alarmed that at Columbia, the college of Alexander Hamilton, of Amelia Earhart, of Barack Obama, people have been heard saying to Jews: ‘[7 October is] going to be every day for you.’ President Biden is right: this is ‘blatant anti-Semitism’.

We need to be honest about what is happening at Columbia. This is solidarity with a pogrom. It is sympathy for fascism. It is privileged leftists getting a cheap moral kick from a mass act of racist violence against Jews that they catastrophically mistake for a blow against imperialism. It is the Socialism of Fools.

More than that, it is a howl of rage against civilisation. This rancid camp with its flashes of outright Jew hate is not an extension of the anti-war activism of old – it’s an extension of the loathing for civilisation that the young have been inculcated with these past few years. To these protesters, the Jewish State, and Jews themselves, represent Western values and Western modernity, and thus they must be raged against. Israel has become a moral punchbag for the sons and daughters of privilege whose hatred for their own societies has driven them over the cliff edge of reason and decency.

How foolish we were to think that education might deliver the young from the benighted ignorances of the past. For today, it is the most educated, the dwellers of the academy, who have allowed the world’s oldest hatred to wash over them. We can now see the consequences of teaching the young to be wary of Western civilisation and to treat everything ‘Western’ as suspect and wicked. All they’re left with is the lure of barbarism, the demented belief that even savagery can become praiseworthy if its target is ‘the West’. If events at Columbia do not wake us up to the crisis of civilisation, nothing will.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Openly Jewish
Western societies need to realize – need to remember what we all once knew – that peace, order, and lawful freedoms all need to be actively and publicly maintained. This maintenance needs to come from the state, from civil society, and from all citizens as free individuals. We can no longer afford that tired old liberal myth of a neutral public space.

We cannot pretend that there is no difference between peaceful protests and those which come with a threat of Islamist violence. We cannot pretend that there is no difference between different conceptions of the good, of the just society, of human dignity.

We cannot be blind to the way that some Islamist groups – Hamas and Al-Quds supporters among them – have a pretty good grasp of how to wield power in the public square. They know how to exert pressure on agents of the state, and how to project political strength on the streets. This isn’t a naive phenomenon.

Islamism is a world where the minaret towers over all. It’s the burka’s flowing tendrils blanketing women like an invasive vine in a once-flourishing garden. It’s the gathering in the square that proclaims “this is our space now.” It’s the adhan blasted loudly at the Christian or Jewish – or secular! – part of town. Until, one day, there are no non-Muslim parts of town left. The Christians of Istanbul and the Jews of Baghdad found this out the hard way. I pray the monied agnostics of Mayfair and Chelsea never do.

And they may not have to! That is, perhaps the British state can learn to differentiate between legitimate protests (however misguided), and marches that proclaim conquest.

The West needs to recover and to actively, publicly promote some basic ideas about our shared public peace. About the common allegiances and responsibilities of citizens. The public square can certainly be tolerant of a great range of political and religious groups, but it can’t be neutral. Attempted public neutrality is a vacuum that less-than-benevolent groups are always ready to fill.

In a free and democratic society, the day-to-day politics of domestic government, foreign activities, finance, etc., must constantly be debated. This is right and just. But at the same time, Western democracies must demand – in the public square – loyalty not to wispy, vague ideas of procedural neutrality and skin-deep inclusivity. Instead, we need to be a lot better at articulating the importance of public peace, the legitimate authority of our states, mutual fraternity with our fellow citizens, respect for the law, and the dignity of all human beings.

This isn’t a big ask, and it isn’t bigotedly intolerant. A country can be sure of itself and of its fundamental requirements, and still accept newcomers or visitors. Bluntly, people should normally be free to protest against a government’s foreign policy, or to stand in solidarity with those they think are oppressed overseas. But the political deal needs to be clearer, and straightforwardly articulated: the rejection of intimidation, violence, anti-Semitic extremism, and the pursuit of power by unconstitutional means. It’s the difference between having a law-abiding, European-style social democratic party in a country’s parliament, and tolerating organized political violence or state espionage by Communist groups. Western states sometimes benefit from the former, but must have the self-assurance to stamp out the latter.

If we don’t get better at doing this, our public square will be more and more vulnerable to hostile takeover. The present moment is a canary in the coal mine. If we don’t get better at doing this, we risk seeing more of our fellow citizens grimly warned of the dangers of being “openly Jewish.”
Why Anti-Israel Protesters Won’t Stop Harassing Jews The movement’s ideological character invites rage and violence.
The anti-Israel movement exists in the United States as a result of a decades-long conflict in the Middle East, the cause of which is complex and has faults on many sides. It was both inevitable and necessary for the United States to have a pro-Palestinian movement. The makeup of that movement is the contingent, tragic factor that has made its activities so ugly and routinely bigoted.

The main national umbrella group for campus pro-Palestinian protests is Students for Justice in Palestine. SJP takes a violent eliminationist stance toward Israel. In the wake of the October 7 terrorist attacks, it issued a celebratory statement instructing its affiliates that all Jewish Israelis are legitimate targets:
Liberation is not an abstract concept. It is not a moment circumscribed to a revolutionary past as it is often characterized. Rather, liberating colonized land is a real process that requires confrontation by any means necessary. In essence, decolonization is a call to action, a commitment to the restoration of Indigenous sovereignty. It calls upon us to engage in meaningful actions that go beyond symbolism and rhetoric. Resistance comes in all forms — armed struggle, general strikes, and popular demonstrations. All of it is legitimate, and all of it is necessary.

SJP likewise directed its members to join the struggle directly: “This is a moment of mobilization for all Palestinians. We must act as part of this movement. All of our efforts continue the work and resistance of Palestinians on the ground.”

When you consider this kind of violent rhetoric in the context of slogans like “Globalize the Intifada,” especially when you consider the lack of authentic Israeli military targets outside of Israel, then the pattern of harassment and violence that follows from this propaganda is inevitable.

A second group that has helped organize the demonstrations at Columbia is called Within Our Lifetime. Like SJP, WOL takes an uncompromising eliminationist stance toward Israel, even calling for “the abolition of zionism.” If you suspect it would be difficult to exterminate an idea peacefully, you are correct. WOL, like SJP, endorses all violent attacks on Israeli Jews: “We defend the right of Palestinians as colonized people to resist the zionist occupation by any means necessary.”

More pertinently, WOL “reject[s] all collaboration and dialogue with zionist organizations” as “normalization,” which is to say it believes people anywhere in the world who wish to see a Jewish state survive in any form should not be permitted to live normal lives. If there is a theoretical distinction between this doctrine and direct advocacy of systematic harassment of mainstream Jewish people and organizations, it is paper thin.


Matthew Foldi: Punish the anti-Semitic rioters on campuses
Biden absurdly equivocated between the mobs and their victims, but Fetterman went so far as to suggest that retiring Senator Mitt Romney take over Harvard, and Moskowitz walked through Columbia’s campus. None of this is to say that Democrats are basking in glory here. Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, a Jewish alum of Columbia, hid behind the human shields in the White House until she put out a statement completely devoid of substance – which is explainable once you remember that now that she is running for statewide office, she needs to mollify the voters in Dearborn, who were recently seen chanting “death to America”.

With the differences between the pre-and post October 7 protests established, the question is: what can be done? Past and present events suggest three buckets of consequences for the perpetrators: academic, professional, and legal consequences.

For the former, look no further than how the University of Chicago famously expelled forty-two students who illegally occupied the administration’s building during the Vietnam era, which bears no shortage of similarities to what we see happening today.

In the present day, these academic consequences must carry weight, lest they create martyrs, like Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s daughter. Even a suspension is meaningless. There is no shortage of school policies these students are violating as they block Jews from walking on campus, as we’ve seen at Yale. Unmask the perpetrators and send them packing.

For the students who remain on campus, they should actually have to spend time in classes. It’s long past time that we acknowledge that most colleges are simply lavish summer camps. Columbia’s decision to suspend in-person classes is the sort of caving to terrorism that always fails, whether it is the Biden administration giving Afghanistan over to the Taliban or Columbia telling protesters that they are actually in charge of the campus.

Another watershed moment on par with Hasson’s coverage was when Winston & Strawn, a Chicago-based law firm, rescinded a job offer to NYU Law’s Ryna Workman, who issued a statement through the campus’s Student Bar Association that “Israel bears full responsibility for this tremendous loss of life.” Subsequently, two dozen top law firms wrote to law schools warning them that they need to get their acts together – and quickly.

Finally, there should be legal consequences for violent protesters. Whoever allegedly stabbed a student journalist at Yale in the eye with a Palestinian flag should see the inside of a courthouse tomorrow. Senator Tom Cotton revisited his infamous “send in the troops” proposal again, writing that “if Eric Adams won’t send the NYPD and Kathy Hochul won’t send the National Guard, Joe Biden has a duty to take charge and break up these mobs.”

The October 7 terrorist attacks revealed something very ugly right beneath the surface of American politics and academia – something that’s been strenuously avoided in polite company, but which can no longer credibly be ignored, even in the esteemed halls of higher education. Passover is ultimately a triumph of Jews returning to our homeland – Israel – after our oppressor du jour failed to break us down. Maybe these protesters can brush up on the book of Exodus, or even just watch Prince of Egypt, while they’re sentenced to academic hard labour, or jail time.
On the left's blindness to anti-Semitism
The other main flaw in contemporary anti-Zionist thinking is to understand racism in purely colonial terms. It sees racism as literally a black and white issue involving oppressed people of colour and those with white privilege. This view fits comfortably with identity politics which all too easily casts Jews as hyper-privileged. From there it is a small step to conceive of Israel as representing white privilege while the Palestinians are cast as the oppressed.

Yet the view that racism is an entirely black and white issue is completely ahistorical. It fails to recognise that racial thinking can take several different forms. It does not solely apply to how black people are treated by racists. Bassi gives as an example America’s Johnson Lodge Administration Act of 1924. That was the result of a campaign in the early twentieth century to exclude Italian, Polish, Russian and Jewish migrants to prevent “racial mixing” and deterioration. It that instance particular groups of white migrants were perceived to be a race apart from Americans.

Jews more generally have also historically been the subject of racial thinking. The Nazis, for instance, notoriously saw Jews as both sub-human and a powerful force conspiring to dominate the world. In that case Jews were perceived as racially apart from and inferior to Aryans. Yet proponents of identity politics to struggle to understand that it is not necessary to be a person of colour to be subject to racism.

This narrow view of racial thinking as solely an expression of colonialism not only leads to a blindness towards anti-Semitism. It actively contributes to the anti-Israeli form of Jew hatred. It upholds Israel not just as a colonial-settler state but as the exemplar of all the evils of colonialism. As Bassi puts it: “An understanding of Zionism as an especially deplorable colonialism, imperialism, nationalism and racism is commonplace on the academic and activist Left, as is the outright rejection of anti-Zionism as antisemitism” (p116).

The identitarian outlook also all too easily leads to the romanticisation of Islamist groups as heroic resistance movements. Groups, such as Hamas, which make overt anti-Semitic statements that would fit comfortably in Nazi propaganda, are somehow cast as heroic freedom fighters.

That then is what has happened to most of those who still identity as being somehow on the left. A political trend which, broadly speaking, supported freedom and national self-determination, while opposing racism, now all too often does the opposite. It may claim to oppose racism but it is among the most virulent proponents of anti-Semitism.
Why can’t the police admit these are hate marches?
The Met are not just ignoring or denying the intolerance on display at these marches. No, they are actively appeasing it. Instead of protecting London’s Jews, the force has gone out of its way to protect the feelings of anti-Semites and Islamists.

This is no exaggeration. In October of last year, the CAA drove several billboard vans around London showing the names, ages and pictures of children who were taken hostage by Hamas in Israel. When they reached Parliament Square, because a pro-Palestine demo was nearby, police officers told the CAA to turn the screens off and to leave central London – or else face charges for ‘breach of the peace’.

Only a few days later, two police officers were filmed tearing down posters of the kidnapped victims of 7 October in Edgware, north London. Responding to the backlash on social media, the Met claimed that the posters were taken down to ‘avoid any further increase in community tension’. Let’s not beat around the bush here. This is a euphemistic way of saying that these posters could cause offence. Of course, the only people who are likely to be angered or provoked by these images of Jewish suffering are either Islamists or anti-Semites. This is who the Met are trying to appease.

Worse still, some in the Met seem to be acting as a freelance public-relations department for Islamists and other cranks. Earlier this month, a police officer was filmed refusing to say whether a literal swastika might be an anti-Semitic symbol. Most infamously, when members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, a now proscribed Islamist-terror group, gathered in London to chant for ‘jihad’ against Israel, the Met claimed in an official statement that there was nothing untoward going on. Jihad could have a ‘number of meanings’, the police assured us – most of them peaceful, apparently.

Now, none of this is to say that the pro-Palestine marches should be banned at a stroke, or that nutcases who chant ‘jihad’ or wave swastika placards should be locked up. Even the most offensive and bigoted views should be protected as free speech. But when the Met continually make excuses for Islamist extremists, and threaten actual anti-racist campaigners with arrest, they have clearly taken a side.

This situation is totally unacceptable. The two-tiered policing of London’s protests is now undeniable. The Met and Mark Rowley should be ashamed.
‘Son of Hamas’ Mosab Hassan Yousef: ‘If we finish Rafah, we finish Hamas’
One of the most passionate voices in support of a large-scale Israel Defense Force operation to clear Hamas from its last major stronghold in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city of Rafah comes from a man raised by the terrorist organization.

Mosab Hassan Yousef, the disowned son of a Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, told The Times of Israel last week that the Israeli government must “finish the job” in Gaza to remove Hamas from power, regardless of the unfolding situation with Iran.

“We need to go into Rafah now. Not tomorrow. What are we waiting for? We finish Rafah, we finish Hamas. This will remove them from power, which will be the first step [toward peace],” he said.

The 45-year-old was born in Ramallah and vividly remembers the foundation of Hamas in 1986. Decades ago, Yousef was dubbed the “Green Prince” (also the title of a 2014 documentary based on his autobiography) for his efforts to help Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet, in thwarting terror attacks during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s.

After saving countless lives in those harrowing days, he has developed a “fundamental relationship” with the Jewish people, albeit not without bumps along the road.

His sharp-tongued criticism of Hamas has been considered too controversial by some, he said, eventually leading to his disappearance from public activism. However, the October 7 atrocities brought him back.

On that day, thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel and butchered 1,200 people, most of them civilians, with stunning brutality in an orgy of violence that saw entire families burned alive, widespread rape and sexual assault, and the torture and dismemberment of victims that included women, children and infants, and the elderly. Two hundred and fifty-three people were also abducted to the Gaza Strip, where 133 are still being held hostage.

“When October 7 happened it was like an earthquake for me,” said Yousef. “I wanted to go into silence. I was leading a very simple life. But that morning, the lion within me awakened, a volcano was about to erupt. I made a decision to burn this evil down to ashes.”
Reformed Hamas Militant Speaks Out: The Truth About Israel-Gaza
Mosab Hassan Yousef was born in Ramallah to one of the founders of the Islamist movement. Growing up, Mosab embraced his father’s ideology and was arrested by Israeli authorities multiple times, starting at age 10, for crimes like throwing stones at Israeli settlers and purchasing guns. But during a stint in Israeli prison in the late 90s, at age 18, he became an Israeli informant.

Eventually, he became Israel’s most valuable intelligence asset, foiling suicide bombings and other terror attacks. Mosab has since been outspoken about Hamas and radical Islamic terrorism more broadly.

For a while, Mosab stopped doing press and lived a quiet life in California, but on October 7, Mosab decided to speak out again against the terrorist group he knows all too well. Since then, Mosab has been publicly supportive of Israel’s war to remove Hamas from power.

The Free Press contributor Douglas Murray sat down with Mosab in Tel Aviv. They talk about the mindset of an Islamist terrorist, the atrocities of October 7, and the future of Israel-Palestine geopolitics.


Legal Insurrection: Anti-Israel Protests Are Also Anti-American



Jewish students attacked on campus: Thom Waye | The Israel-Hamas War
Visegrad24 presents an in-depth series covering the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. This comprehensive series features on-the-ground interviews, bringing firsthand insights from a diverse range of voices, including politicians, professors, journalists, experts and influencers.

Our guest today: Thom Waye
Thom is the Chief Strategy Officer of Chabad on Campus International. He comes from both a background in business and philanthropy, with a strong connection to the Jewish community and Israel.

00:00 - Introduction
02:14 - Chabad on Campus International
03:34 - The antisemitism task force
06:25 - Chabad-Lubavitch
11:30 - Conversions in Judaism
13:33 - Rabbi Schneerson's teachings
18:38 - Reactions to Oct. 7th
21:20 - Academic freedom
23:40 - University donors and politics
25:10 - Codes of conduct and accountability
27:55 - Congressional hearings on campus antisemitism
29:05 - Choosing universities for Jewish kids
32:00 - Jews coming together


Obama’s Passover Message Adds Palestinians Into the Story; Omits Hostages

"I'm Frightened Of My Peers" | Debate On Israel-Hamas Protests
As The White House condemns what it calls 'blatantly antisemitic statements' at student protests across America against the war in Gaza, Piers Morgan is joined by Sahar Tartak, a Jewish student who was poked in the eye by a flag at a protest at Yale, Yoseph Haddad, who also claims to have been assaulted by pro-Palestine activists, Breaking Points host Krystal Ball and author of Go Back To Where You Came From Wajahat Ali.

00:00 - Introduction
00:30 - Being attacked at antisemitic protest at Columbia University
04:55 - Right for Palestinian protest
12:10 - Smearing pro-Palestine protests
15:30 - Are Hamas villains?
17:30 - Media access in Gaza
20:40 - Conflating Israeli government with Jews
23:00 - Are the American pro-Palestine protesters terrorists?
27:50 - Name an intifada that wasn't a violent uprising?
31:00 - Recommending Jewish students leave campus




Iranian Woman Exposes How Democrats Made Iran More Dangerous - Elica Le Bon
Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks to Iranian attorney, activist, and artist Elica Le Bon about how the ignorant Left in America misunderstands Iranian politics; her activism work following the revolution in Iran; the disconnect between the Iranian people and the regime; the West not understanding the situation in Iran and Barack Obama and Joe Biden empowering the regime through deals and funding; her concern about the spread of misinformation through social media and the radicalization it can cause; why we need a more balanced and educational approach to understanding Middle Eastern conflicts; and much more.


This Post on the 'Progressive' Pro-Hamas Mob Absolutely Nails It
Why aren’t the “protestors” demanding that the terrorist group Hamas release hostages and surrender? Literally none of them are calling for that. All the fury is aimed at Israel, none at the party that started the war with an act of mass slaughter and rape and that keeps it going with hostage-taking and human-shielding. Hamas has turned down every “ceasefire” offer. Why would pro-ceasefire activists support the side that refuses a ceasefire? Why would a supposedly anti-war movement overtly support the side of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas, all of whom exist only to wage war? Why haven’t these wonderful humanitarians mounted similar campaigns in response to actual genocides, such as those carried out against Muslims in China, Syria, Sudan, and Myanmar? Slaughters that have claimed many more innocent lives than the war in Gaza? I’ve screamed and written about these atrocities for years. Where were they? Why do protesters cite Hamas statistics as gospel? Why do they ignore the fact that most wars—especially those wars that have been overwhelmingly celebrated as righteous—have far worse civilian to combatant ratios than does the current war in Gaza? World War II comes to mind.

Why did they start protesting Israel immediately after October 7, before Israel even launched its ground invasion in Gaza? Why do people who would be apoplectic over the most microscopic indication of anti-black racism or Islamophobia downplay the flagrant and widespread violent anti-Semitism of these rallies as the unrepresentative behavior of “just a few jerks”? Have they not seen the total saturation of Hamas slogans at these events? Why are these protests growing larger, more active, and more violent at the moment that Gaza has been becalmed? Israel pulled out the majority of its troops weeks ago and the death toll dropped dramatically months before that (even by the bullsh*t Hamas numbers). Why does a political movement that claims to believe in indigenous rights, immigration, gender-equality, refugee acceptance, democracy, and religious pluralism support a non-indigenous, conquering, theocratic tyranny of female servitude, murderous homophobia, religious intolerance, and totalitarian subjugation against a democratic state of an indigenous people that values equal rights and personal liberty?


Pro-Palestinian protesters say walk by Jewish campaigners should face restrictions

More than 200 pro-Palestine protestors seen rallying outside Chuck Schumer's New York home are taken into custody as they call for U.S to halt providing weapons to Israel

Jewish groups call for end to funding for Edmonton Pride centre over its response to Hamas attack

Google fires at least another 20 staffers in wake of anti-Israel sit-ins

Canada’s deputy PM wouldn’t condemn pro-Hamas slogans as hate speech until she saw video of vile chants

Alec Baldwin smacks phone of anti-Israel agitator who demanded he say 'Free Palestine' in coffee shop

Rep. Elise Stefanik demands federal funds for Columbia University be revoked in wake of anti-Israel protests

House Speaker Mike Johnson demands ‘very weak, inept’ Columbia prez Minouche Shafik resign ahead of campus visit

Stop the Mideast Money Fueling Campus Anti-Semitism

WSJ: Who's Behind the Anti-Israel Protests? Iran

Lawmakers Ask IRS To Probe Chinese Funding to Anti-Israel Protests

NFL Funded Left-Wing Group Bailing Out Anti-Israel Bridge Blockers

AOC Celebrates Anti-Israel Campus Protests During Event With Biden

Columbia Jewish alumni demand firing of president Shafik for failing to protect students on campus

NYPost Editorial: Columbia prez must go: She’s now privileging antisemitic protesters over all other students

FLASHBACK: Columbia President After 9/11 Said Terrorism Is ‘A Form Of Protesting’

Columbia Professors Declare Solidarity With Student Protesters and Call for Shafik's Resignation

I Used To Run Columbia’s Pro-Israel Group. This Anti-Semitism Is Nothing New

Columbia Law Students Tell Jewish Classmates Police Presence on Campus Makes Them Feel Unsafe

Pro-terror radical launched 2-hour anti-Israel tirade at Columbia event before protests exploded: ‘Nothing wrong with being a Hamas fighter’

Billionaires led by Robert Kraft stop cash for Columbia and call anti-Israeli mob ‘f–king crazy’

Anti-Israel protesters vow to fight and defend Columbia University encampment as counterterrorism police gather near campus after mob ignored president's midnight deadline to leave

He Refused To Leave Columbia When He Was Suspended. Two Weeks Later, He's Still There—And Leading the Protests Roiling Campus.

Actor Michael Rapaport slams anti-Israel demonstrators at Columbia as ‘bullies’ and ‘cowards’

John Fetterman endorses Mitt Romney for president — of Harvard

Northwestern Investigates Flyer Targeting Jewish Community Center

Jewish NYU professor lashes out at brainwashed student protesters: 'If I said lynch the blacks or burn the gays, I'd never work again'

Cambridge University disables comments following Passover post backlash

Anti-Israel hate marches holding the rest of us hostage while Trudeau shrugs

Islamophobia czar's wild claim that anti-Israel extremism is a 'few individual protesters'

'Teachers for Palestine' slammed over push to cancel Anzac Day



Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!

 

 

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Tunisian writer goes on antisemitic rant celebrating limiting Jewish religious rights in Djerba

April 25, 2024, 2:45 am
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Earlier this week, Tunisia authorities canceled the annual pilgrimage to Djerba by Jews to celebrate Lag B'Omer, which is happening in a month.

The official reason was to maintain security on the island. But an article in Rai al-Youm makes it clear that it was an antisemitic decision - and Fawzi bin Younis bin Hadid is quite proud of that:
At this time every year, the island of Djerba turns into a military barracks to secure the Jews coming from Israel, from all parts of the world, and from within the island itself, to hold Passover rituals [sic] in the Jewish synagogue located area, which does not calm down day or night during that period. The island’s residents and other visitors suffer at this time of year from difficulty in moving to and from it, and they face great and extreme suffering in going to work in the morning and evening due to the large number of security checkpoints. As for those who come from outside it, they stand in lines at its entrances and exits and are asked where they came from and where they are going...

But we heard this year that these rituals were canceled. The cancellation came, according to what was said, at the request of some Djerba people from the Tunisian state, in order to preserve the feelings of the Tunisians and show solidarity with the people of Gaza, who suffered and are still suffering from the scourges of the Zionist army, bombing, destruction, killing, torture and abuse, in one of the most heinous humanitarian crimes in modern history committed by the Zionist machine and the Zionist occupation army on the proud land of Gaza.

Because we are an Arab Muslim people, we do not accept that the Jews rejoice over our precious land while they kill our people in Palestine, and the Zionists must understand that things have limits, and that the Islamic and Arab peoples boil like a pot boiling over a quiet fire...

...The Jews are by nature prone to aggression, arrogance, bullying, and absurdity. They ignore all international and international norms and resolutions, practice the law of the jungle in their dealings with humans, and are not held accountable for their crimes, which exceed the crimes of the entire world.

We were very happy with this decision this year because it gives the Tunisian citizen on the island of Djerba a large amount of freedom to move around and practice the teachings of Islamic law, and participate in establishing security and safety. In fact, the first and primary goal of the cancellation was to respect the feelings of more than 160,000 citizens who live on the island and defend their brothers in Gaza and Al-Aqsa Mosque. 
The subtext is that the Jews who live in Tunisia are not really full citizens of the country - only the Muslims are, and only the Muslims deserve full rights. Which is how the Jews were treated in Europe throughout the ages, too.

Bin Hadid has written for Al Mayadeen and Al Jazeera as well.

Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

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.@NPR comes out solidly on the side of those who are threatening Jews on campus

April 25, 2024, 5:00 am
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I created this cartoon after reading two NPR interviews of people on Columbia University campus.

One was with Rabbi Yuda Drizin, director of Columbia's Chabad, who emphatically said three times that he will not speak for or against Columbia's administration. He stated Chabad's position that Jews should not run away while emphasizing the dangers Jewish students faced:

 DRIZIN: For the Jewish students here, my wife, Naomi, and I see firsthand, like, what they're all going through. But at the same time, the response cannot and should never be fear or to [be] scare[d] away. And we have extra security. We have heightened security. There is - we have walking escorts to get to the Chabad house, to get back. But there is never a time to turn away and especially not at Passover, when we have to stand strong and remember our redemption and celebrate together as a family.

SUMMERS: You mentioned that you and your wife, Naomi, have seen firsthand what students have experienced there. You've said that you're horrified by what you witnessed during protests on Saturday on and near campus. Can you just give us a snapshot of what you have seen there?

DRIZIN: Yeah. To be honest, I don't like to amplify those elements of what's happening on campus. It's all out there. But, you know, I'm seeing students being told, go back to Poland. You know, you are just colonizers. You have no place. You know, it's really horrendous stuff. And this is to Jewish American students. ....

SUMMERS: I have to ask you. How do you separate the concern over safety for Jewish students from the rights of all students - and, I should say, including Jewish students - to peacefully protest the state of Israel?
Who is talking about peaceful protests? 

NPR's message is , sure, Jews have the right to be safe, but other students have the right to make their lives hell! How do you balance the two? 

While Rabbi Drizin does not want to wade into politics or what Columbia's  response should be, the other Jew that NPR interviewed revels in it. 

Debbie Becher, an associate professor of sociology at Columbia who has joined the antisemitic protesters,  tells NPR, without any pushback, that Jews at Columbia are perfectly safe and that all the incidents of threatening Jewish students are fiction made up by right-wing outsiders:

In my campus, it actually feels quite safe and peaceful. It's unfortunate that leaders are telling Jewish students who support Israel's war on Gaza that they are unsafe and that the national news and some social media had been portraying our campuses as rife with violence and protests. In fact, the center of attention - there's an encampment, a pro-Palestinian encampment, at Columbia right now - has been a place of sharing and community building. Students have watched movies there. They hold teach-ins. They study. They eat together.

Last night, I attended a Passover seder in the middle of it with about 75 Jewish students, a dozen Jewish faculty and many non-Jewish students and faculty. It was beautiful to see so many different cultures participating in a seder in a pro-Palestinian space. And I think it's important to say that we can't keep one group safe by punishing and repressing others.

So what's happening is that, in the name of preventing antisemitism, the university has suspended a dozen or more Jewish students for taking part in nondisruptive, peaceful action. Does their safety matter? What about the safety of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, Black and brown students arrested by the NYPD at Columbia's request and those kicked out of their dorms by Barnard College?

MARTÍNEZ: So you're saying there is communication happening, that people are talking to each other face to face.

BECHER: Absolutely. There is more talking happening now in the last week that protests have resumed, even though the university is calling them unauthorized. I think what I want people to know is that the actual crisis here is the university leadership's failure to stand up to pressure from right-wing actors. These actors don't care about universities or student well-being.

We wanted our leadership and have wanted our leadership to support student and faculty rigorous debate, to support the way that we teach and learn. And instead, they're capitulating to right-wing actors who want to gut universities for what they see as our woke indoctrination. They don't care about our students.

There's communication between Jews who hate Israel and non-Jews who hate Israel! This is the rigorous debate that makes life at Columbia so wonderful for Jews!

This gaslighting and outrageous discarding of the feelings of Jewish students goes on unchallenged for four minutes. And when the NPR interviewer gingerly brings up the topic of Jewish students upset at antisemitic language being hurled at them during protests, Becher says the only antisemitism comes from the people who object to antisemitic language from the anti-Israel side:

MARTÍNEZ: What would you say, though, Professor, to a student, a Jewish student, who feels that maybe their - that what's going on now has gone to antisemitic language?

BECHER: I would say that antisemitism is something that needs to be approached seriously. It's everywhere. It is not a tool in a political game. And it's being used by Congress and universities in the last six months as a tool in politics. Antisemitism deserves rigor. That means we need procedures in place for investigations. What we don't need is panicking and caving in response to external pressure.

What we've seen is that congressional Republicans and Democrats are going along with those who are panicking, and the university is going along with the Republicans and Democrats and getting immediate results in the form of firing, suspensions and expulsions. That's political point scoring, not student well-being. And it's making it worse, not better. When the university uses this kind of disproportionate power in the interest of one group, supposedly, this is just going to reinforce for them and their peers the idea that Jews have disproportionate power, a core antisemitic belief.
Yes, protecting Jews on campus foments antisemitism, according to this as-a-Jew  "authority."

And Becher herself admits that her own anti-Israel positions are based on ignorance of the topic she cares so much about. As she wrote in November for the Columbia Spectator in an article charging Israel with imminent genocide as well as apartheid:
Though in the past few weeks I signed letters written by groups of Columbia and Barnard faculty, this is my first time speaking publicly, in my own words. I am neither a long-term activist nor an expert on the issue or the region. I am writing this editorial to others like me: nonexperts and non-activists who have thus far been quiet, but who are terrified by what we have been seeing.
That article called on people to protest Israel without researching the actual issues ahead of time. Really: "As a Barnard student said to me yesterday, 'You can be learning and taking action at the same time; in urgent times, action has to come first.'"

An instructor at Barnard says that students should protest before knowing anything about the topic. Like her. This is today's academia.

It reminds me of this video recently posted of how ignorant the people jumping on the anti-Israel bandwagon are:





In short, Becher is a lying ignoramus who is teaching hundreds of students and is proud of her ignorance. And this makes her a perfect person to be interviewed by NPR.

To its tiniest credit, NPR added a footnote to the story: "In a statement to NPR, Columbia University said Columbia students have the right to protest, but they are not allowed to disrupt campus life or harass and intimidate fellow students. They went on to say they are acting on concerns expressed by Jewish students to ensure the community remains safe." It completely contradicts what Becher claimed for the four minutes she was interviewed but it was not used to point out that she was lying about "peaceful protests" as well as about the safety of Jewish students on campus.

(h/t Irene)



Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!

 

 


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Good To Know: Terrorists of PFLP and Hamas Support Student Protests At @Columbia (Daled Amos)

April 25, 2024, 7:30 am
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By Daled Amos

You know the students of Columbia University are being repressed when Palestinian terrorists come out to declare their support for them.

Joe Truzman, a senior analyst for the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, tweeted Wednesday morning that Hamas came out in support of Columbia students:


Who knew that the same Hamas terrorists who slaughtered over 1,200 Israelis and took over 200 hostages -- many of whom died in captivity -- had a soft spot for individual human rights.





Apparently, Al Qaeda and ISIS were not available for comment.

But the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine was!
And the PFLP was just as outraged as Hamas.





Eitan Fischberger, who posted this on Twitter has a point: The PFLP claims to have students on the Columbia campus in some capacity. What does that mean? 

What involvement, if any, do the Palestinian terrorists of the PFLP have at Columbia?

Radical anti-Israel activists told Columbia students, “There is nothing wrong with being a fighter in Hamas”— weeks before the campus exploded in pro-Palestinian protests.

In a two-hour tirade to the hardest core of anti-Israeli activists at Columbia and its sister college, Barnard, Charlotte Kates, international coordinator of Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, said, “These are the people who are on the front lines defending Palestine and fighting for its liberation.”

Kates — who was referring to a terrorist organization responsible for the mass murder of hundreds of Israelis on October 7 — and her husband, Khaled Barakat, spoke to members of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest Group in a seminar called “Resistance 101.”


Not surprisingly, this presentation by Kates was based on deception:
Kates and Barakat represented themselves as speaking on behalf of Samidoun, the “Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network,” at the meeting.

In reality, Barakat is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is a designated terrorist organization responsible for a string of attacks on Israeli civilians and closely allied to both Hamas and Hezbollah. 
The PFLP has a hand in the riots at Columbia which have led Columbia University to offer remote classes for the rest of the semester.

So when the PFLP says they have students at American universities, those universities better be paying attention and the leadership of those universities better be ready to protect their students from the riots and attacks on Jewish students that we have seen so far. 

But the reasons for concern go further.

In an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, Steve Stalinsky, executive director of MEMRI, writes that Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and others are grooming activists in the U.S. and across the West. He points out how various terrorist leaders openly encourage supporters to protest "in cities everywhere."

Stalinsky warns that the issue goes beyond protests:
The collaboration between senior terrorists and their growing list of friends in the U.S. and the West has real-world consequences. These groups are designated terrorist for a reason. They don’t plan marches and rallies—they carry out terrorist attacks. And when the U.S. and Western activists, including college students, see that their marches and protests aren’t achieving their goals, they may consider their next steps—which will be influenced by the company they have been keeping.
Colleges have shown they are not up to containing the developing riots.
The media again is in denial about these "mostly peaceful protests."
Congress has demonstrated its concern.

The first step is to make clear that free speech does not allow the growing threat and harassment of Jews on college campuses and on US streets.


Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!

 

 

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04/25 Links Pt1: Biden, 17 world leaders issue joint statement demanding release of hostages; Analysts debunk Hamas claims that Israel dug mass graves at hospital

April 25, 2024, 11:10 am
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From Ian:

Ben-Dror Yemini: Hamas loses war in Gaza but wins it in US, West
Hamas' ideology is the elimination of Jews.

Hamas is part of the global jihad that declares its goal as taking over the world to establish a dark Islamist imperialist vision.

Those leading the student protests on campuses support genocide.

They started burning Israeli and American flags and waving Hamas and Hizbullah flags, while supporting the Houthis and Iran.

The axis of evil led by Iran and jihad has wide support.

The protesters seem to think they want to stop the war. They're only fueling it.

Hamas arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar looks at these students and enjoys every moment.

Hamas may be beaten in Gaza, but it's winning in the U.S. and the West.

Never in history have so many turned themselves into useful idiots for an axis of evil and terrorism.

They think they're enlightened. They're not. They're causing more and more casualties.
PMW: Why does the US criticize its ally while supporting those who demonize it?
Why are Hamas’ allies, who are terrorizing and threatening supporters of Jews and Israel on campuses around the US, also in the same breath screaming “death to Israel” and “death to America”?

The answer is that while the US is the driving force pressuring Israel to accept PA rule in Gaza and while the PA welcomes US aid and quietly thanks it for life-saving support, the PA simultaneously demonizes the US incessantly. The PA goes so far as to claim that Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza is actually an anti-Arab and anti-Islamic US war in which Israel is merely the American tool. And now, PA-driven anti-US hate has reached the US in full force.

We are witnessing a recurring pattern. For years, Palestinian Media Watch has been warning about the PA’s Islamist Antisemitism, but the West has been ignoring the issue and on the contrary, it continued funding the PA’s Nazi-like demonization of Jews. That Islamist Antisemitism has now established itself among the mainstream of Palestinian supporters in the US and is echoed by Palestinian supporters worldwide.

One of the PA’s prominent mouthpieces, the PA’s official daily columnist Muwaffaq Matar, regularly accuses America of colonialism and of making Israel its pawn in the Middle East.

“We always emphasize that our main problem is with the US and the colonialist states that planned and actively contributed to establishing Israel, and they established it on the Palestinian people’s homeland (Palestine) [parentheses in source] with the rank of their main worker in the region! As long as this is the situation, [Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar] Ben Gvir will continue as he does to knead [US President Joe] Biden’s flour with the blood of the Palestinian people in general, and of the hundreds of thousands of hungry in the Gaza Strip in particular.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 3, 2024]

Matar was particularly triggered of late by the US veto of a UN Security Council resolution calling to provide the PA with full UN membership. In response, he lashed out at the US, labeling it “the mind behind the conspiracy against the Palestinian people”:
UN fails to black list Hamas for rape, Israel condemns decision while US is silent
The United Nations omitted Hamas from its blacklist of state and non-state parties guilty of sexual violence in 2023, due to a lack of what it deemed to be credible evidence.

The blacklist was part of a larger annual report on sexual violence authored by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which was completed this month and debated Tuesday at the UN Security Council.

Guterres’s April report described sexual violence in 18 conflict settings or situations of concern, including the Hamas-led October invasion of Israel and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

But it found that credible evidence that met UN criteria was strong enough in only 11 of those situations such that it could blacklist the responsible parties. Neither Hamas nor Russia were among those parties that met that criteria and were not included on the list.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he was “disgusted” by the report in a statement released to the media, while the UNSC debate took place on what would have been the first day of Passover in the US.

'Secretary-General sides with Hamas'
Katz called it a “failure in a long series of failures” by the UN and its institutions, which had not once condemned Hamas for the October 7 attack in which over 1,200 people were killed and 253 hostages were seized.

“Guterres has turned the UN into an extremely antisemitic and anti-Israel institution during his tenure which will be remembered as the darkest in the organization’s history,” Katz said.

He added that he was convinced that if the UN had existed during the Holocaust and in the lead-up to it, and “if the crimes of the Nazis had come up for debate, he [Guterres] would have refused to denounce them if it suited his political interests.”

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield welcomed the report and mentioned its inclusion of the Hamas-led October 7 attack when she addressed the UNSC on Tuesday.

“From Nigeria to Israel, Myanmar to Sudan, Haiti to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we have seen terrorist groups, criminal gangs, and non-state armed groups abducting and sexually exploiting women and girls. We’ve seen rape being used as a tool of war.

“And I’ll note that the report calls for the release of the nearly 3,000 Yazidis who are still missing, as well as hostages kidnapped by Hamas and other terrorist groups from Israel on October 7. We know from UN reporting that many of these hostages have experienced sexual violence while in captivity,” she said.

But Thomas-Greenfield did not mention Hamas’s omission from the blacklist of perpetrators attached to the report.


Biden, world leaders issue joint statement demanding release of hostages
U.S. President Joe Biden and 17 other world leaders issued a joint statement on Thursday calling on Hamas to immediately free all of the hostages the terrorist organization is still holding in the Gaza Strip and to accept a ceasefire.

“We strongly support the ongoing mediation efforts in order to bring our people home,” the leaders stated. “We reiterate our call on Hamas to release the hostages, and let us end this crisis so that collectively we can focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region.”

Signatories to the statement include the leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Thailand and Colombia, all of whom have citizens known to be held in Gaza or who have been missing since Oct. 7. Israel was not one of the 18 signatories.

A senior Biden administration official speaking to reporters on background on Thursday before issuing the joint statement said the White House had previously tried and failed to get these leaders to sign on to an official call to release the hostages.

“An effort was tried earlier in the crisis, and actually, we were not able to get it done given some of the disagreements, but we were able to get a unanimous sign-on to this statement today, largely because of the current situation with the hostages,” the senior official said. “We have now discussed with all of these capitals the elements of the deal on the table, and there is a deal on the table that would bring a ceasefire immediately to Gaza simply with the release of women, wounded, elderly and sick hostages.”

“That is ready to go, and we have worked it out in meticulous detail, and Hamas has rejected that,” the official added.

The Biden administration has previously issued statements suggesting that Israel was at least partly responsible for the failure to achieve a breakthrough ceasefire-for-hostages deal in the months-long negotiations in Cairo and Doha. On April 4, the White House released a readout of a phone call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “urged the prime minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay.”


IDF Spokesperson Hagari: 'Until Hamas releases our hostages, no stone will be left unturned'
IDF Spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari released a statement on Wednesday, following the release of Hamas' propaganda video showing Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

In the statement, Hagari said "Hamas published a video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23 years old, an Israel-American man who was celebrating with his friends at Nova Music Festival, where he was brutally attacked and cruelly kidnapped by Hamas on October 7."

Hagari continues to talk about Goldberg-Polin's situation, saying that he is "held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. 133 hostages are ... in inhumane conditions." the IDF spokesperson then states "Until Hamas releases our hostages, the IDF will continue to pursue Hamas everywhere in Gaza. No stone will be left unturned in our efforts to find our hostages."

Hagari responding to Hamas' video
"This psychological terror video is not only a reminder of what Hamas done on October 7, but also a reminder to how horrific this terror organization is - inflicting terror on hostages, and their families," said Hagari.

He then addressed the Goldberg-Polin family, saying that he shares in their pain, and that the IDF will continue to work for the safe return of their son, "To Hersh's parents, we share in your pain. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring your son Hersh and all our hostages home."

The IDF Spokesperson ends the statment saying that their strength continues to be a source of insparation for them as they are working towards the completion of "this important mission."


Hamas Releases Video of American-Israeli Hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin; UPDATE: Parents Respond
Hamas released a propaganda video on Wednesday showing American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, proving that he is alive — with the hope of pressuring the Israeli government to give up the war as part of a hostage deal.

The video is the latest in a series of videos that Hamas has released in which it shows emaciated, suffering hostages, reading scripted accusations against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accusing him of neglect.

The Israeli media refuses to share the videos, since they are Hamas propaganda videos in which the hostages appear under duress, but they spread on social media regardless. Breitbart News has seen the video but will not post it.

Goldberg-Polin was maimed in the October 7 terror attack, losing his left hand to a Hamas grenade as he hid among other victims in a bomb shelter near the site of the Supernova music festival in southern Israel.

He has become one of the iconic faces of the hostages, 133 of whom remain in Gaza. “Free Hirsh” graffiti appears all over Jerusalem.

The Biden administration does not appear to be taking any action to free or rescue the hostages, among whom are several Americans.

A display of hostage photos has gone up opposite anti-Israel protests at Columbia University.

Update: Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, released a statement Wednesday reacting to the Hamas video:
Seeing the video of Hersh today is overwhelming. We are relieved to see him alive but we are also concerned about his health and wellbeing as well as that of all the other hostages and all of those suffering in this region. We are here today with a plea to all of the leaders of the parties who have been negotiating to date. This includes Qatar, Egypt, the United States, Hamas and Israel: be brave, lean in, seize this moment and get a deal done to reunite all of us with our loved ones and end the suffering in this region. Hersh, we heard your voice today for the first time in 201 days and if you can hear us, we are telling you, we love you, stay strong, survive.


Bassam Tawil: Qatar, 'Leading Sponsor of Terrorism in the World, More than Iran,' Is Not an Impartial Mediator
The idea that Qatar has been acting as a mediator in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas is nothing short of laughable. Qatar has actually long been staunchly aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood organization, of which Hamas is an offshoot.

The Muslim Brotherhood -- according to a hearing at the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Security on July 11, 2018 -- is a militant Islamist organization with affiliates in over 70 countries, including groups designated as terrorist organizations by the US.

""Qatar has huge influence over the Muslim Brotherhood's Palestinian affiliate, Hamas.... For too long, Doha has danced between its Islamist allies and its Western and Arab partners."— Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, The Atlantic, October 20, 2023

Qatar has a long history of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and its radical terrorist offshoots.... Qatar has also provided political and financial support to Hamas. In 2008, Doha reportedly pledged $250 million to Hamas, one year after the terror group violently seized control of the Gaza Strip. In 2012, Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani became the first head of state to visit Gaza, pledging $400 million to Hamas. Since then, the Qatari government has continued to send money to Hamas.

Qatar's goal is to keep Hamas in power. Qatar has no reason to care if thousands of Palestinians die in the Gaza Strip, so long as Hamas is permitted to continue ruling the coastal enclave.
Qatari official: Jews are murderers of prophets; October 7 is only a ‘prelude’
Essa Al-Nassr, a member of the Qatari legislative Shura council, spoke on Monday at an Arab League session, expressing antisemitic remarks and inciting to violence and terrorism.

"There will be no peace nor negotiations with the Zionist entity for one reason: because their mentality does not recognize negotiations, but rather only… breaking promises and lying… They only recognize one thing, which is killings; since they are killers of prophets.”

The accusation of Jews as ‘killers of prophets’ is a well-known antisemitic trope made in several Islamic texts, which is understood by many, including Al-Nassr himself, as a charge against the entire Jewish people valid for eternity.

This allegation is reminiscent and perhaps reflective of the charge of deicide by which Jews were accused in classical Christian texts.

In addition to the inherent antisemitic rhetoric featured in such allegations, the projection of real or unreal wrongdoings by Jews of ancient times onto the modern State of Israel is viewed as another type of antisemitism practiced nowadays in many religious and nationalistic circles.

Al-Nassr was not satisfied with these comments alone, as he went on in his speech to commend the “Flood of Al-Aqsa operation” (Hamas’s name for the October 7th massacre), claiming that this was only a “prelude to the annihilation of the corruption of the ‘second Zionist entity’ upon earth.”

He then referred to a presumably Godly promise for the ingathering of Jews in the land of Palestine as preparation for the ‘battle of the next generation,’ which according to Al-Nassr, would bring an end to the Jewish state.


Amb. Alan Baker: Will the U.S. State Department Impose Sanctions on an IDF Battalion?
The declared intention of the U.S. State Department to impose sanctions on the IDF's Netzah Yehuda battalion based on allegations of human rights breaches is a very rash and dangerous move against the military forces of a friendly state.

The battalion is an integral component of the Israel Defense Forces, under the full authority and jurisdiction of Israel's military justice system. As such, it is subject to military law and is responsible for fully complying with the norms and principles of international law.

Israel's independent judicial system, including its military justice system, thoroughly investigates and institutes prosecution proceedings regarding any allegation of a violation or deviation from IDF orders and code of conduct.

Any action by the U.S. to unilaterally impose sanctions on an IDF unit and its soldiers implies that Israel's military and civil legal, investigative, and prosecution authorities are incapable of or are not dealing with alleged violations.

This is not the case, and advancing such a proposition to impose sanctions on the army of a critical democratic ally like Israel sets a very dangerous precedent concerning the implications such action could have in the various international judicial fora before which Israel is presently called to defend its actions.

If the State Department has any solidly-based suspicions regarding violations by any IDF unit or its soldiers, it is incumbent on the State Department to raise this issue directly with the responsible military and justice authorities in Israel to ascertain whether and what action is being taken to investigate and prosecute such allegations.

It is no less incumbent upon the U.S. State Department to rely only on reliable and authoritative information on this matter and not on partisan, one-sided, political allegations, such as anti-Israel NGOs active on behalf of the Palestinians.
Report: ICC mulling Israeli arrest warrants with US consent
The International Criminal Court in The Hague would not be considering issuing arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials without the approval of the United States, according to a Channel 12 report on Tuesday, citing senior sources associated with the ICC.

“The sources at The Hague said that it is impossible that the chief prosecutor would have decided on such a dramatic step, in a war that is still ongoing, with very little evidence, if he had not at least had a ‘green light’ from the Americans. If this is true, this is another and unprecedented low in relations between Israel and the U.S., at a very sensitive time, on the eve of the ground entry to Rafah,” wrote Israeli journalist Amit Segal.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan has served in his position since Feb. 12, 2021, when he was elected with American support. The Channel 12 article notes that since then, he has closed two cases that “greatly troubled the Americans”—on undeclared detention related to Afghanistan in Europe and to war crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan.

Channel 12 reported last week about Israeli concerns that high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, could be subject to arrest warrants over the prosecution of the war against Hamas in Gaza.

According to the report, an emergency meeting was held at Netanyahu’s office on April 16 in the presence of Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Foreign Minister Israel Katz.

The four decided to take “urgent action with international authorities” to prevent the arrest of Israelis abroad, according to the report.


Caroline Glick joins Newsmax on April 20, 2024



Pelosi Demands Netanyahu Resign, Calls Israeli Leader ‘Obstacle’ to Peace
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) this week demanded Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu resign for his "terrible" response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, calling the Israeli leader an "obstacle" to peace.

"We recognize Israel's right to protect itself. We reject the policy and the practice of Netanyahu—terrible. What could be worse than what he has done in response [to the Oct. 7 attack]?" the former House speaker told Irish broadcaster RTÉ in an interview published Monday.

"[Netanyahu] should resign. He's ultimately responsible," Pelosi said, adding, "I don't know whether he’s afraid of peace, incapable of peace, or just doesn’t want peace. But he has been an obstacle to the two-state solution."

Netanyahu declared Israel was at war with Hamas immediately after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, vowing to make the terrorists pay an "unprecedented price." Israel has since eliminated thousands of Hamas militants and established control over significant portions of the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces are set to enter Rafah, one of the few remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza, to "[achieve] a complete victory over Hamas," Netanyahu said earlier this month.

Pelosi’s criticism of Netanyahu came a month after Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) called for the prime minister's ouster and a new Israeli government, arguing the Israeli leader "has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take the precedence over the best interests of Israel."

"I think what [Schumer] said is totally inappropriate," Netanyahu said in response. "It’s inappropriate to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership there. That’s something the Israeli public does on its own."


Analysts debunk Hamas claims that Israel dug mass graves at Nasser hospital
Analyses by Sky News and independent analysts of satellite imagery and footage published online found that claims spread by Hamas and Arabic media that the IDF had dug mass graves at the Nasser hospital in Gaza were false as the graves were made before the IDF entered the complex.

Hamas, Al-Jazeera, and several news agencies claimed in recent days that the IDF had dug mass graves in order to "hide" the bodies of Palestinians after entering the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said on Tuesday that he was "horrified" by the reports and called for "independent, effective and transparent investigations." Türk added that "The intentional killing of civilians, detainees and others who are hors de combat [not participating in hostilities] is a war crime."

Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for UN human rights commissioner Volker Turk, claimed that some of the bodies had their hands tied and were "stripped of their clothes."

Due to the analyses finding that the bodies were buried before Israeli forces entered the hospital, it is unclear who bound and stripped the buried individuals or why they did so, as only Palestinians and medical professionals were present at the scene at that point.

On Monday, the GeoConfirmed geolocation account published a thread listing extensive examples of footage and satellite imagery showing that the graves were dug, filled, and covered before the IDF ever stepped foot in the hospital.

The account geolocated and dated several videos posted online to figure out when the graves were actually dug.

According to the account, the footage showed Palestinians digging the graves in question between January 25-February 3. The IDF entered the hospital on February 15.


IDF: Mass grave in Khan Yunis dug by Gazans
Israel said on Wednesday that it was not responsible for a mass grave unearthed at the Nasser Hospital complex in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, providing video evidence that Gazans dug the burial site.

“Misinformation is circulating regarding a mass grave that was discovered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The grave in question was dug—by Gazans—a few months ago. This fact is corroborated by social media documentation uploaded by Gazans at the time of the burial, as seen in the video below,” IDF international spokesperson Lt. Col. (S.) Nadav Shoshani tweeted.

“Any attempt to blame Israel for burying civilians in mass graves is categorically false and a mere example of a disinformation campaign aimed at delegitimizing Israel,” he added.

The White House weighed in on Wednesday, saying that it seeks answers to the mass graves.

“We want answers. We want to see this thoroughly and transparently investigated,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters.


White House demands ‘answers’ from Israel after Gaza hospital mass grave claims
The White House said Wednesday it wanted “answers” from Israeli authorities, after Hamas officials in Gaza claimed to discover a mass grave at a hospital that was the target of a recent IDF raid.

On Tuesday, Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defense agency said that health workers uncovered nearly 340 bodies of people allegedly killed and buried by Israeli forces at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. But evidence has suggested this is false, with the bodies having previously been buried at that same location by Palestinians amid the fighting between Israeli forces and terror operatives in the area.

“We want answers,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters. “We want to see this thoroughly and transparently investigated.”

A spokesperson for the US State Department also said Washington was continuing to press Israel for more information.

The claimed discovery by Hamas officials prompted the United Nations to demand an independent probe into the situation, backed by the European Union.

“Misinformation is circulating regarding a mass grave that was discovered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The grave in question was dug — by Gazans — a few months ago,” Israeli army spokesman Major Nadav Shoshani wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “This fact is corroborated by social media documentation uploaded by Gazans at the time of the burial, as seen in the video below.”

“Any attempt to blame Israel for burying civilians in mass graves is categorically false and a mere example of a disinformation campaign aimed at delegitimizing Israel,” Shoshani added.


AOC Spreads Hamas ‘Mass Grave’ Hoax to Demonize Israel
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is spreading a hoax about a “mass grave” supposedly discovered at a Gaza hospital where Israeli soldiers had recently been fighting terrorists.

AOC cited a post on Twitter / X by Nick Kristof, a radical left-wing columnist for the New York Times, who has spread doubts about Hamas’s documented use of hospitals, but treats Hamas claims about Israeli atrocities as proven facts.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has noted for days that Hamas has tried to spread misinformation about the hospital.

In fact, it said, IDF soldiers examined a grave that had been used by Palestinians to bury dead people, hoping to find the remains of Israeli hostages who may have been killed, and then returned the bodies that the IDF had exhumed.


Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry: Review of UNRWA’s neutrality offers ‘cosmetic solutions’
António Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, said on Monday that he accepts recommendations made by a group reviewing the neutrality of the beleaguered U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

Critics predicted months ago that the review would whitewash the U.N. agency’s ties to Gazan terror groups, and Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the released report.

“Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA so deeply that it is no longer possible to determine where UNRWA ends and where Hamas begins,” Marmorstein stated. “The problem with UNRWA-Gaza isn’t that of a few bad apples. It is a rotten and poisonous tree whose roots are Hamas.”

Catherine Colonna, the former French foreign minister, led the group that released the report on Monday. The report says that the Jewish state failed to provide evidence for its claims that UNRWA staff participated in Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre and, broadly, about terror activity in the Gaza Strip.

The review found UNRWA “irreplaceable and indispensable” to Palestinians it serves in Gaza and elsewhere and said that the U.N. agency already has a detailed screening process in place to “ensure compliance with the humanitarian principles.”

It noted that stronger safeguarding mechanisms could be implemented with respect to neutrality in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“The secretary-general accepts the recommendations contained in Ms. Colonna’s report,” stated Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres.

“He has agreed with Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini that UNRWA, with the secretary-general’s support, will establish an action plan to implement the recommendations contained in the final report,” Dujarric added of the U.N. secretary-general.


Hamas official who sought endless war after Oct. 7 says it could put down arms for 2-state deal
A senior member of Hamas’s Qatar-based politburo said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday that the terrorist group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel and that it would lay down its weapons and convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders.

However, in separate comments published by the London-based Arabic paper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the same official, Khalil al-Hayya, indicated this would only be a temporary stance and that the Palestinians retain their “historic right to all Palestinian lands.”

Al-Hayya also specified in the AP interview that the envisaged Palestinian state would necessitate “the return of Palestinian refugees” to today’s Israel. The Palestinian demand for a so-called “right of return” provides for up to six million descendants of refugees entering Israel — a demand dismissed by Israel as seeking to destroy it as a Jewish majority state.

Al-Hayya’s comments came amid a stalemate in months of talks for a truce and a hostage release. The suggestion that Hamas could disarm appeared to mark a potential departure by the terror group, which is officially committed to Israel’s destruction.

It was also starkly at odds with an October interview by al-Hayya in which he said the goal of the October 7 massacres in southern Israel was to plunge the entire region into conflict and have a permanent state of war on Israel’s borders.

It’s also unlikely Israel would consider such a scenario. It has vowed to crush Hamas after thousands of terrorists led by the organization stormed southern Israel on October 7 to kill nearly 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and take 253 hostages.

Moreover, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are overwhelmingly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state on lands Israel captured during the Six Day War in June 1967.


FDD: Israel Calls UN Investigation into UNRWA ‘Insufficient’
Latest Developments
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on April 22 released the final report by investigators charged with reviewing the agency’s “neutrality” in light of Israel’s allegations that UNRWA employees participated in Hamas’s October 7 massacre. The report dismissed the allegations. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the report “insufficient” because it “ignores the severity of the problem” and only “offers cosmetic fixes.”

While the United Nations asserted that UNRWA has “extensive tools in place to ensure it remains unbiased in its work,” this appears at odds with at least some of the report’s findings. For instance, the report determined that UNRWA’s employee verification process is insufficient and that the organization does not have the necessary information to ensure comprehensive and efficient vetting. The report also observed numerous persistent “neutrality” problems within UNRWA. For example, its staff have publicly expressed political views, and the organization uses educational material that includes anti-Israel content.

Former French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna, who led the group working on the report since February, offered 50 recommendations, mostly highlighting bureaucratic reforms such as creating a neutrality working group or improving staff training. On April 22, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accepted the report’s recommendations and called for donors to support UNRWA.

Expert Analysis
“The UN’s corruption and terror finance problems are on full display — and they go straight to the top. Democracies that care about the integrity of international organizations must not allow the UN to play this dangerous game. Now is the time to expedite plans to leave UNRWA in the dustbin of history and move forward with a new terror-free paradigm.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor

“The report issued today is part of a concerted effort by the UN system to downplay and dismiss UNRWA’s egregious complicity in the October 7 massacre. The report recommends largely cosmetic changes to the agency while overlooking UNRWA’s deeper structural and bureaucratic rot. Thankfully, Congress sees past this whitewash. Its ban on U.S. funding for UNRWA extends through March 2025. An independent investigation, free from the UN’s influence, is urgently needed to uncover the full scope of UNRWA’s transgressions.” — Nick Stewart, Senior Director of Government Relations at FDD Action

UNRWA Has Turned a Blind Eye to Systemic Terrorist Activities
Israel has said that more than 2,135 UNRWA employees are members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and 20 percent of UNRWA school principals are “Hamas activists.” Israeli intelligence, recently given to the Canadian government, reveals that “Hamas is deeply and systematically embedded in UNRWA.” For example, Hafez Mousa Mousa, a UNRWA school principal whom Israel believes is a member of Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades, allegedly closed his UNRWA school on October 7 as he rallied fellow Hamas operatives to prepare for the attack. UNRWA does not recognize U.S.-designated terrorist groups, such as Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad, as terrorist entities.
Israel Tried To Warn Biden Admin About UNRWA. A Top US Official Declined the Meeting, Emails Show.
When Israel's ambassador was denied a meeting with the Biden administration in May 2021, he was looking to raise concerns about American funding to the United Nations' Palestinian aid agency, whose employees went on to participate in Hamas's Oct. 7 terror strike last year, internal government emails show.

Samantha Power, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), declined to take a meeting with Gilad Erdan, then the Israeli ambassador to the United States, when the Jewish state was locked in its 2021 conflict with Hamas, the Washington Free Beacon reported in February, citing internal USAID emails.

A new tranche of scheduling memos from that time shows that Power personally declined to meet with Erdan until the war with Hamas was over. The memos also show Power's staff warned her that the Israeli ambassador would likely raise concerns about the Biden administration's decision to restart funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The agency has been engulfed in controversy since reports showed that several of its employees helped Hamas kill more than 1,200 Jews.

The memos indicate that Israel was attempting to warn the Biden administration about UNRWA's links to Hamas and signal concern with the aid group's employment of individuals affiliated with the terror group. The United States restarted millions of dollars in taxpayer funding for UNRWA just weeks before Erdan requested the meeting with Power and the 2021 conflict with Hamas broke out.

In the previously unreported scheduling memo, Power says she wants to defer the meeting until Israel inks a ceasefire with Hamas, a move that increased pressure on the Jewish state to scale back its military operations in the Gaza Strip. The Biden administration has employed similar tactics in recent months as it again attempts to pressure Israel into ending its war on Hamas and begin pumping millions of aid dollars into the war torn Gaza Strip.


JPost Editorial: US leaking sensitive intel. on Israel can jeopardize regional stability
Leaks from American security and diplomatic sources are a growing concern, especially when they relate to Israel and Iran's sensitive geopolitical landscape. Rather than protecting Israel's security and fostering diplomatic stability, these leaks are causing anxiety, pressure, and chaos.

This breach of discretion has significant implications, undermining diplomatic efforts and potentially escalating an already volatile situation.

Israeli officials have taken a strategic approach to addressing their security needs, retaliating where they were attacked while avoiding public acknowledgment to maintain stability.

This careful balancing act is crucial in a region prone to escalation. Israeli security and governmental sources, speaking to The Jerusalem Post, noted that Israel responded proportionally: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

Despite this, they refrained from officially accepting responsibility for an attack, knowing that public acknowledgment could escalate tensions.

However, the Pentagon's disclosure of Israeli involvement in attacks contradicts this strategic restraint. Israeli sources expressed confusion and disappointment over why the Pentagon decided to inform the American media instead of maintaining silence.
Ep. 6 Inside Gaza: John Spencer's Eyewitness Account of Israel-Hamas Conflict
Today we bring you an interview with John Spencer, an expert in urban warfare who serves as the chair of urban warfare studies at the Military Institute at West Point and has visited Gaza twice since October 7th.

John Spencer is a US military veteran himself. He served for 25 years in the Army including two combat deployments to Iraq as both an infantry platoon leader and company commander.

We first came across John from his op-eds in the Wall Street Journal about the war in Gaza.

John brings a unique perspective to the Israel-Hamas War. As a military expert, he’s seen Gaza in the company of the IDF, so we will follow this episode with a Thursday one on a doctor who's seen Gaza through the eyes of the Palestinians.




Israel prepares to evacuate one million Palestinians from Rafah ahead of invasion
Israel is preparing to evacuate one million Palestinian civilians from Rafah ahead of an imminent ground invasion against Hamas, Israeli news sources reported on Tuesday evening.

The evacuation will reportedly involve moving civilians to the nearby city of Khan Younis, under two miles from Rafah, where Israel will establish shelters with food and medical facilities in coordination with international aid organisations.

According to Israeli government sources, the Israeli Defense Ministry has procured 40,000 tents, each with the capacity for 10-12 people, to house Palestinians relocated from Rafah.

The evacuation, expected to take roughly a month, marks the first stage of the proposed Rafah offensive, according to a report by Reuters on Wednesday. The IDF is then expected to gradually move troops into Rafah and target areas where it believes Hamas leaders and operatives are hiding.

According to Israeli intelligence sources, Rafah is home to four intact Hamas combat battalions and believed to be the final bastion of the terrorist organisation in Gaza.

Brigadier-General Itzik Cohen, commander of the 162nd Division operating in Gaza, told Kan public TV on Tuesday: “Hamas was hit hard in the northern sector. It was also hit hard in the centre of the Strip. And soon it will be hit hard in Rafah, too.

“Hamas should know that when the IDF goes into Rafah, it would do best to raise its hands in surrender. Rafah will not be the Rafah of today... There won’t be munitions there. And there won't be hostages there.”

The IDF announced on Wednesday that two reservist brigades have been mobilised for missions in Gaza.
Why nearly intact Iranian missiles are being found in the Negev
Travelers who were walking in the Arad area of the Judean desert, enjoying the starry night, were surprised to find themselves standing next to a ballistic missile, a remnant of the major attack that Tehran launched against Israel, which included more than 300 suicide drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.

This is not the first missile discovered in the south since the attack. Similar missiles were discovered nearby in the Dead Sea area immediately after.

So how is it that civilians are still finding missiles on the ground ten days after the attack, especially after the IDF spokesman stated that Israel's air defense system successfully intercepted 99% of them?

Iranian missiles: how do they work?
The IDF made the decision to disclose this information since some missiles successfully struck the Nevatim base, and this was reported abroad. Despite not responding directly to reports of a transport plane being hit in the attack, the IDF did provide an explanation for the nearly intact missiles discovered in the Negev.

The missile found this week is the Iranian Imad, one of the two types of ballistic missiles used in the attack, along with the Haybar Shekan. The Imad is an advanced version of the old Shehab 3 missile, which itself is based on the North Korean Rodong.

Iran launched 110 ballistic missiles at Israel. Each missile contains rocket engines that provide it with the necessary speed to exit the atmosphere, large fuel tanks designed to allow the engines to travel long distances, a control system box, and a warhead, which contains the explosive material.

The Imad's warhead is relatively sophisticated: It contains 750 kg of explosives, capable of causing damage even to protected structures. The missile's fins allow it to hit the target accurately and maneuver in an attempt to mislead the defense systems. The missile's range reaches about 1,700 kilometers, and it is designed to hit the target accurately to 10 meters.

"The warhead is the payload that the missile carries, the whole purpose of which is to put it into orbit on the way to the target," explains Tal Inbar, an expert on the Iranian missile program. "The engine accelerates the missile, and it flies to Israel on a ballistic trajectory, at a maximum height of 110-140 km above the ground. Somewhere over western Iran or over Iraq, the warhead separates from the heavy and clumsy missile casing that carries it so that it can easily maneuver to the target. The warhead is the dangerous part that needs to be intercepted. The rest of the missile reaches Israel without fuel, and as long as it falls into uninhabited territory, it will not cause damage.

"The cost of these missiles is high: an Arrow-2 costs about 3 million dollars. The goal is to destroy the target with as few interceptors as possible. That's why a lot of effort has been put into developing the ability of Israeli air defense systems to distinguish between the warhead and the missile itself. This enables us to launch an interceptor at the right target and not waste an interceptor on the missile itself, as long as it is not about to land in a populated area."
US could begin construction of floating pier off Gaza ‘very soon’
Ryder indicated at the Pentagon on April 23 that the US estimates that keeping this plan on track will mean starting work in early May on the pier. “As I understand it, all the necessary vessels are within the Mediterranean region and standing by, as I mentioned, to begin construction when given the order to do that. Again, you know, there is a process and procedure that will have to be followed,” he said. He also discussed the complex other aspects of the project, such as working to make sure the area is secure and also working with local partners which “include NGOs, working with USAID, there’s a very specific process and timeline that needs to be implemented. And so again, as I understand it, we’re on track at this point to implement that,” he said.

There is still some lack of clarity on how this will all work. It should mean a maritime corridor from Cyprus can be maintained. Ruder said the pier would be “several miles off-shore” and that it can receive military and civilian vessels and then items can be loaded onto the floating dock and then moved to the shore. Vessels will then take the aid to a temporary causeway on shore and the aid will be put on trucks driven by local NGOs.

This leaves questions about which NGOs. An airstrike on a World Central Kitchen convoy caused that group, which was working from Cyprus with UAE backing and using a Spanish ship, to pause its work in early April.

It was clear from the questions at the Pentagon that much remains to be worked out, or that not everyone is privy to the plans afoot for this complex operation. The US military, and the US army in particular, likely wants to see if this capability to build a floating pier in a real-life crisis will work as planned. In the past, these units have trained for this, but this is a unique scenario. Moving these transport ships, which sit low in the water and move along at a slow pace of around 10 knots, all the way across the Atlantic, is one of those interesting missions that pops up, enabling a military to try carry out something it has practiced over the years.
How’s That Gaza Pier Coming, Mr. President?
Seven Weeks Later, ‘No Physical Construction of the Temporary Pier or the Causeway’ Hey, remember in President Biden’s State of the Union Address — delivered March 7 — when he pledged, “I’m directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters. No U.S. boots will be on the ground”?

Remember how a whole bunch of us asked a lot of questions about how all of this was going to work, logistically, and how Biden could keep that promise?

How, exactly, will U.S. military forces build a temporary pier on the Gaza coast without putting any “boots on the ground”? Is the plan to build the pier offshore and then float it over toward the Palestinians? Is this some spin that if the boots are on the beach, they still count as “offshore”?

How close are our forces going to be to the Gaza coast? No one in the administration is worried about members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or any other extremist or terrorist group taking shots at American forces? Am I the only one getting vibes of Beirut in 1983 or Mogadishu in 1993? . . .

And if we’re going to do the Palestinians some favors, doesn’t that seem like the sort of thing that should involve the freeing of some hostages?

The aim was to begin “delivery operations in approximately 60 days.”

Well, 49 days, or seven weeks, have passed, and yesterday, the Pentagon press secretary, Air Force Major General Pat Ryder, conceded that nothing has been built yet:

As of right now, there has been no physical construction of the temporary pier or the causeway. As we’ve discussed, you know, there is a — for lack of a better term, sort of a checklist that one is going to follow in order to implement this capability.

And as Central Command and U.S. Army Central goes through that checklist, we are positioned to begin construction very soon, in the very near future, but you want to do those steps in order so that by the time you are erecting this causeway and temporary pier, that all of the pieces are in place and that you can begin operating.

So we’re still, based on all indications, on track to see an operating capability by the end of this month or early May, and we’ll keep you updated on that.

This contradicts media reports that “the dock has been built off U.S. naval vessels.” Part of the delay is that “one of the ships deployed to support the mission of building a pier to deliver aid to starving residents in Gaza was forced to turn back last week after it suffered a fire in its engine room.” Apparently, they found a substitute or can function with one less ship, as Ryder said yesterday that “all the necessary vessels are within the Mediterranean region and standing by, as I mentioned, to begin construction when given the order to do that.”

As for the security concerns:
While the Pentagon maintains that no U.S. troops will deploy into Gaza, it has disclosed little about how long the operation could last and how it intends to ensure the safety of those involved, alarming some in Congress and other critics of the president’s plan. Military officials declined to answer questions from The Washington Post about where the pier will be located and what security measures will be taken, citing a desire not to telegraph its plans.

And as for whether this benevolent gift from the U.S. government has spurred Hamas to release some hostages, not only have we not seen any hostages released since then, Hamas won’t even give updated numbers on how many hostages are alive or dead.
Terrorists Attack US Humanitarian Pier Construction Site Off Gaza: Report
Gazan terrorists on Wednesday launched mortar shells at a site off the coast of Gaza where the United States is planning to construct a floating pier to deliver humanitarian aid, according to a report from Israeli outlet i24NEWS.

The mortar attack damaged American engineering equipment and left one person injured, i24NEWS reported on Thursday. The United States could start building the humanitarian pier as early as this weekend, with the Israel Defense Forces reportedly in charge of providing security during the construction.

President Joe Biden first announced the pier’s construction during his State of the Union address on March 7. U.S. military personnel will assemble the floating pier, an 1,800-foot-long causeway attached to the coast of northern Gaza, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the day after Biden’s speech.

"As the president has said, not enough aid is getting in [to Gaza]," Ryder said, noting the pier is expected to help deliver "up to 2,000,000 meals in a day."

"At no time will we require U.S. forces to actually go on the ground," Ryder added. "Our role will be essentially to provide the service of getting [the aid] to the causeway, at which point it will then be distributed."

Republican lawmakers have expressed concern that the humanitarian pier would endanger U.S. troops deployed to manage it, with over a dozen members of the Senate Armed Services Committee last month warning Biden that the plan "appears to ignore force protection issues entirely, against an enemy that tries to kill Americans every day."


IAF strikes Gaza launch pads after rockets fired at Israel on Passover
Israeli Air Force fighter jets destroyed two Hamas rocket launchers embedded in a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, the army said Wednesday, as the war started by the terrorist group entered its 200th day.

The Israel Defense Forces said the launch pads were loaded with rockets and were struck before they could be used to attack the Jewish state.

The strike in the heart of a humanitarian zone was carried out following efforts to prevent harm to civilians, the military added.

On Tuesday morning, as Israelis celebrated the Passover holiday, air-raid siren sounded in the southern border communities of Ashkelon, Sderot and Zikim, sending close to 190,000 people running for shelter.

Four rockets were intercepted. In Sderot, a storage shed burned down after it was hit by shrapnel. There were no people in the structure, which had been under renovation since it was hit by two Hamas rockets on Oct. 7, and no injuries were reported.


The Israel Guys: Another Rocket Barrage Was Just Fired From Gaza | HOW??
As Israelis were celebrating Passover in Israel, sirens sounded in southern Israel, sending 190,000 people running to bomb shelters. How long will the world stand by and allow this to happen? Isn’t it about time for Israel to be able to celebrate a holiday in peace?

After multiple barrages of rockets were fired from Gaza and Lebanon, the IAF responded accordingly and struck major terror targets of both Hamas and Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, the IDF is preparing to go into the last remaining terrorist stronghold in Gaza, Rafah, with meetings happening in Egypt.

And Nancy Pelosi said something dumb.




Seth Frantzman: Under Hezbollah fire on the bay of Haifa
I was at the beach along with hundreds of people. Some were kite-surfing. Others were fishing. Mostly people were just wading in the water. There is a lifeguard station at the far northern part of the beach of Kiryat Yam.

It is called the ‘Virgin’ beach for some reason, and there is a small shop and new sandwich place called the “Betula” or “virgin” sandwich. Acre is visible in the distance, several miles up the bay.

The morning was full of signs of possible escalation. There were the sound of warplanes in the air. Hezbollah said overnight that Mohammad Khalil Atiyeh, a member of its Radwan force, was killed.

The IDF said that in the morning “IAF aircraft struck and eliminated Hussein Ali Azkul, a significant terrorist operative in Hezbollah's Aerial Defense Unit in southern Lebanon. Azkul was heavily involved in the planning and execution of terrorist attacks against Israel and was involved in the Hezbollah's Aerial unit's routine activities.

His elimination significantly harms the capabilities of Hezbollah's Aerial Unit.”

I thought that this would likely mean there might be escalation.

I heard the sound of booms around 13:08 and the IDF said that “Following the sirens that sounded in northern Israel regarding a hostile aircraft infiltration, a short while ago, the IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target off the coast of Nahariyya.”

Around thirty minutes, an air defense interceptor became visible in the distance, over the water, with the city of Acre framing the scene. Within a few seconds the sirens sounded and people began grabbing their kids from the water and quickly walking inland.

There were no shelters so some people opened a lifeguard station and tried to cram into the bottom room, where the station keeps its longboard to do rescues. It was clear this was not a protected room: it was made of wood.

I stood there now with the dilemma, whether to put my son, who was with me, into the shelter with a bunch of adults who were cramming themselves in, or to just walk to the southern side of the stand and take shelter.

Years of covering the war in Sderot taught me that it's better, in the absence of shelter, to put something between you and where the rockets or interceptions are, and to have something over your head.

So I gave up with trying to cram myself or my young kid between mountains of people, and instead wandered around to the south of the shack and waited. The sirens were over. Whatever had happened, had happened. There weren’t interceptions overhead, so there was no shrapnel coming down. If it was our “time,” it would have happened a minute before we tried to cram into the non-shelter.

Now that the sirens were over I went back to the beach, grasping my hastily gathered glasses case, phone and keys. You need keys to flee a rocket attack. You need glasses and a phone. Back at the beach around ninety percent of the people had now left and the parking lot, that had been bursting with cars, was emptying.


Hamas chief Sinwar exited tunnels, met with terrorists aboveground
Hamas's chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, exited the terrorist movement's tunnels and met with the movement's forces aboveground recently, a senior source in Hamas told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Wednesday.

Sinwar "recently inspected areas that witnessed clashes between the resistance and the occupation army, and met some of the movement's fighters on the ground and not in the tunnels," said the source.

The source claimed that Sinwar is "not isolated from reality" where he's hiding, adding that "talk that Sinwar is isolated in the tunnels is nothing but a claim on the part of Netanyahu and his agencies to cover up his failure to achieve the goals declared to the Israeli street and to his allies."

The Hamas source also denied reports that Hamas had changed its demands to only being willing to release 20 hostages instead of the 40 originally discussed in the first phase of any agreement. The source stated that while it's not possible to "accurately determine the number of living hostages," it is "certain" that the number is higher than the number being cited in some media reports.

The source claimed that Hamas has about 30 IDF and Shin Bet officers and that these hostages are being kept in "highly secured places, far from the hands of the occupation, and it is impossible to reach them under any circumstances."


UN official lauds Israel for Gaza aid but calls for ‘paradigm shift’
Israel has taken measures to improve the delivery of provisions in the Gaza Strip; however, there needs to be a “paradigm shift” to continue to meet the “immense needs” of the enclave’s civilian population “in a safe and secure manner,” the U.N. point person on humanitarian aid in the Strip said on Wednesday.

Sigrid Kaag, a former deputy prime minister of the Netherlands and currently senior U.N. humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, told the U.N. Security Council that her team has had “very constructive cooperation” with Israel over the last few weeks.

The U.N. official lauded the Jewish state for increasing the amount of aid crossing into Gaza, opening the Erez Crossing at the northern end of the Strip and using the Port of Ashdod for delivering humanitarian items. Kaag also noted the repair of a critical water pipeline in the northern part of the enclave and the resumption of bakery operations in northern and central Gaza.

But she said other measures must be taken immediately, including “effective and credible deconfliction” to keep humanitarian workers safe in places where the Israel Defense Forces operate.

Also on the agenda are improved checkpoint procedures, road repairs and timely clearances to keep convoy movements on schedule.

Kaag said a “U.N. mechanism” to accelerate the provision of aid to Gaza, which the Security Council called for in a December resolution, will start operating “in the coming days,” initially by land from Jordan and by sea from Cyprus.

“The operationalization of the mechanism will allow for pipeline prioritization, predictability, visibility and tracking of supplies to Gaza,” Kaag told Security Council ambassadors.


The Commentary Magazine Podcast: Limousine Liberals for Hamas
Hosted by Abe Greenwald, Christine Rosen, John Podhoretz & Matthew Continetti
Today we discuss the state of play between universities and the pro-Hamas encampment movement, and we consider Mike Johnson’s seeming declaration of a counter movement. Speaking of encampments, why are tents proliferating in urban areas and what does it say about society? We also talk about the terrible new GDP numbers, why no one took a victory lap after Joe Biden signed the foreign aid bill, and much more.
Petition calling for Met Commissioner’s resignation over officer’s ‘openly Jewish’ remark gains 10,000 signatures
Nearly 10,000 people have signed a petition calling for the resignation of Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley after a Jewish campaigner was told by an officer that his “openly Jewish” presence at a pro-Palestine march was causing a “breach of the peace.”

The petition was sponsored by the Campaign Against Antisemitism after a Metropolitan Police officer prevented the organisation’s chief executive, Gideon Falter, from crossing a road during a Palestine march in central London on 13 April due to his “openly Jewish” appearance.

Rishi Sunak has since said that Scotland Yard must regain the confidence of the public by policing protests properly, telling the Met Police: “Don’t just manage marches, police them.”

Sunak's comments intensify pressure on Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley who is facing calls to resign over the incident, footage of which has been widely viewed on social media.

Sunak said: “I was shocked to see that footage over the weekend, as I'm sure many people were. That's why when I was asked yesterday I was very clear that the police have got to not just manage these protests, they’ve got to police them.

“People are seeing scenes like that that they don't understand, they don't think are acceptable and that they think undermine the values that are important to us as a country and society,” Sunak said.

“My expectation is that the Met Commissioner regains the trust and confidence of the Jewish community and the public more broadly when it comes to how these protests are being policed and not just managed.”

Falter has called on his supporters to join him for a “walk” this Saturday, which will coincide with another pro-Palestine march in central London. In a letter to Met Police Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain, a screenshot of which Falter posted to X, the CAA head wrote:

“I am not planning a protest on 27th April. I am going for a walk as a private individual. I have not yet decided where I will walk, however it is likely that whilst walking I will be quite openly Jewish. Others might decide to join me. They might not. That is a matter for them. They might also be quite openly Jewish. They might not. That is also a matter for them.”
UK police threaten to arrest man for being openly Jewish near Pro-Palestinian march
Author Douglas Murray says there are things which have been normalised today that would have been “front page news for weeks” just a few years ago.

This comes after UK police threatened to arrest Campaign Against Antisemitism CEO Gideon Falter for looking openly Jewish as he was passing by a Pro-Palestinian march.

“The fact that … we have priests being attacked at the alter, we have Jews afraid to walk the streets of western cities,” Mr Murray told Sky News host Rita Panahi.

“All of the discussion around this … everything around it is always fearful because of a number of things.

“People are fearful about addressing this because sometimes they are afraid physically for their own safety and sometimes they’re afraid because they’re afraid of what they’re going to be called.”


Jon Lovitz: 'It's horrible' what's happening to Jewish students at Columbia University
Jewish actor and comedian Jon Lovitz slams the anti-Israel protesters who are demonstrating on college campuses across America on 'Jesse Watters Primetime.'


‘Two-tiered policing’ shown in England between St George’s Day and pro-Palestine protests
GB News host Patrick Christys says there was “two-tiered policing” shown in England between St George’s Day and pro-Palestine protests.

Mr Christys joined Sky News Australia host Andrew Bolt to discuss the recent protests in England and the stark contrast in the way police treated each one.

“This was actually more of a celebration than a protest,” he said.

“It does raise questions as to whether or not it is illegal to be white, English, and patriotic in England.

“There’s definitely two-tiered policing here.”




Take ‘immediate action’ against Jew-hatred, 27 GOP senators demand of US ed secretary, attorney general
A group of 27 U.S. senators wrote to Merrick Garland, the U.S. attorney general, and Miguel Cardona, the U.S. education secretary, on Tuesday demanding that the officials “take action to restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses.”

“President Biden issued a statement on Sunday, purporting to condemn the outbreak of antisemitism. If that statement was serious, it must be accompanied by immediate action from your departments,” the senators wrote.

“We write regarding the outbreak of antisemitic, pro-terrorist mobs on college campuses. These pro-Hamas rioters have effectively shut down college campuses and have literally chased Jewish students away from our schools,” they wrote.

“The Department of Education and federal law enforcement must act immediately to restore order, prosecute the mobs who have perpetuated violence and threats against Jewish students, revoke the visas of all foreign nationals (such as exchange students) who have taken part in promoting terrorism and hold accountable school administrators who have stood by instead of protecting their students,” they added.

Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) led the letter.

The other signatories—all Republicans—were John Barrasso (Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Katie Britt (Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), John Cornyn (Texas), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Ted Cruz (Texas), Steve Daines (Mont.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Josh Hawley (Mo.), John Hoeven (N.D.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), John Kennedy (La.), James Lankford (Okla.), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), James Risch (Idaho), Pete Ricketts (Neb.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Rick Scott (Fla.), Dan Sullivan (Alaska), John Thune (S.D.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.).
Watch Democrat Abandon Idiotic Talking Points on Protesters
Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report”shares a DM clip of Democrat John Fetterman’s brutal insult to pro-Palestine protesters who took over a Starbucks with a bullhorn.




‘Me too unless you’re a Jew’: Ami Horowitz slams Susan Sarandon’s stance on Israel-Hamas war
Filmmaker Ami Horowitz says actress Susan Sarandon “dropped the veneer” of being anti-Israel and instead is openly an anti-Semite.

Mr Horowitz joined Sky News Australia host Rita Panahi to discuss the actress’ stance on the Israel-Hamas war.

“Susan Sarandon had dropped the veneer of simply being anti-Israel but being an open anti-Semite a while ago,” he said.

“You can believe the New York Times – I’m sure is Susan Sarandon’s Bible, that interviewed 150 rape victims, rape counsellors, medical emergency personnel, and actually had video the rapes that happened, you can do that, or you can believe Hamas, because that’s essentially what she’s doing.

“I mean, me too unless you’re a Jew.”




Andrew Hastie slams pro-Palestine demonstration ‘hijacking’ Anzac Day
Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie says Australians are “tired” of radicals hijacking all areas of life with politics.

Australians paused to honour our servicemen and women for Anzac Day at dawn services around the country.

Dozens of tents were pitched at the University of Melbourne today as pro-Palestine protesters kicked off their encampment demonstration following scrutiny around the ill-timed date.

“Anzac Day is a day of unity, not of division,” Mr Hastie told Sky News host Sharri Markson.

“These people are trying to divide us and Australians are just tired of being divided.

“It was disrespectful and it was a poorly chosen time; indeed it was designed to hijack the very day where we come together.”


NSW Greens councillor slammed for wearing Palestinian keffiyeh to Anzac Day dawn service
NSW Greens councillor Rafaela Pandolfini has been slammed for wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh to an Anzac Day dawn service held in Sydney’s east.

The keffiyeh is a traditional scarf worn in the Middle East, but due to the pro-Palestine protests the garment has more recently been viewed as a symbol of support for Palestine.

“Today was Anzac Day, the most sacred day in our nations’ calendar, it’s the day where we put aside all our differences, and God knows we’ve got a few, and focus on honouring those men and women who died to ensure the freedoms that we currently enjoy,” says Sky News host James Macpherson.

“It’s not a day for partisan political points, and it’s certainly not a day for importing foreign conflicts.

“Unless of course, you’re a Greens politician.”




Hasan Piker, Crackhead Barney decry Israel on Piers Morgan
Wednesday’s Piers Morgan Uncensored show featured heated arguments between self-declared pro-Israel and pro-Palestine activists, alongside an appearance from Crackhead Barney, who had previously gone viral in a video where she asked actor Alec Baldwin to say ‘free Palestine.’

Piers Morgan was joined by pro-Palestine YouTuber Hasan Piker, AKA HasanAbi, pro-Israel journalist Emily Austin, and Piers Morgan Uncensored contributors Esther Krakue and James Barr.

Hasan, who is a Turkish-American Muslim and the nephew of Cenk Ughur, has gained a high profile from his vociferous advocacy for Palestinians during the current Israel-Hamas war.

Hasan: October 7 was inevitable
During the debate, Piker stated that he is “perfectly comfortable with people chanting about the intifada.” The previous intifadas led to hundreds of deaths of civilians in Israel by suicide bombing and other attacks.

Despite being repeatedly asked whether he condemned or condoned the October 7 attack, he refrained from directly answering the question.

“I think that violent means of maintaining an apartheid is inevitably going to yield violent retaliation,” Piker said.

Morgan probed Piker's arguments, drawing attention to how the latter showed support for violence that fit his agenda but condemned violence that fit the other side.

“Hasan, it does seem that you're very selective about the violence that you support," Morgan said. "When you support it, it's justified. When other people use things in a violent way that you don't support, it's unjustified. Seems like it's all skewed to what Hasan thinks.”

Emily Austin, an outspoken Israel advocate, defended Israel’s case and highlighted the plight of the hostages, who remain in captivity in Gaza. She also showed Hasan a still from the recent hostage video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

In response, Piker told Austin that she was using the hostages as “a political tool to make propaganda” and referred to her Bring Them Home necklace as an IDF dog tag.

He also called Austin a “f****** terrorist” and a “disgusting little monster.”

Piker referred to Israel’s alleged “genocidal intent” against Gazans, whom he claimed were called “human animals” by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The original clip shows Gallant using this phrase to specifically refer to Hamas.

“I'm going to cut off the debate - getting absolutely nowhere,” Morgan finally said.
‘Offensive nonsense’: Chris Kenny visits USYD pro-Palestine protest
Sky News host Chris Kenny has slammed the “offensive nonsense” at the US-inspired pro-Palestine protest at the University of Sydney’s historic Camperdown campus on Tuesday night.

The protest featured posters spray painted with the anti-Israel phrase “From the river to the sea” and called on the university to “cut ties (with) arms manufacturers”.

A big banner with ‘Gaza solidarity encampment’ was also unfolded in front of the university protest.

Mr Kenny visited the university on Thursday morning, speaking with some of the protesters and asking why there were no posters calling for the release of Israeli hostages.

“Why wouldn't university students campaign for the protection of all innocents?” Mr Kenny said.

“Why wouldn’t they condemn Hamas and demand the release of hostages as the way to deliver peace? And why would they promote views that amount to calling for the destruction and elimination of Israel?

“We have seen where this division and hatred has led on the campuses in the United States with Jewish students advised to stay away. Surely we can't go down the same path here.”


Pro-Palestinian protestors criticised for not having a ‘real argument’
Stepmates Studios Mark Nicholson says pro-Palestinian protestors at the University of Sydney campus seem to just be “joining the group”.

Mr Nicholson said the protests seem like a “populous thing to be doing at the moment”.

“Uni used to be a place for people reading history now it’s just a bunch of kids wanting to sit back and watch it repeat itself over and over again,” he told Sky News host Chris Kenny.

“There’s something about this that really fires me up.

“None of them have actually got a real argument for it, they just seem to be joining the group.”


‘Very triggering’: USYD teacher speaks out on university protests
USYD Biology Teacher Sarah Aamidor has spoken out about the pro-Palestinian protest occurring at the University of Sydney campus.

Ms Aamidor described it as “very triggering”.

“In the centre of the university there’s a camp with tents, there’s megaphones, there’s people standing and taking over that whole area … they have huge banners, they have flags, they pretty much took over the centre of the university,” Ms Aamidor told Sky News host Sharri Markson.

“You walk over the bridge and there’s posters everywhere … posters that are calling for … at least the dismantlement of the state of Israel.

“Calling for boycott, calling for Intifada and it’s everywhere.”


‘Jewish students no longer feel safe’: Sharri Markson slams Sydney Uni over protest calamity
Sky News host Sharri Markson has criticised Sydney University after a pro-Palestine movement saw students set up camp on campus with posters displaying anti-Israel slurs.

“The University of Sydney is copying the worst of the American Ivy League colleges with its Palestinian sit-ins and horrific antisemitism,” Ms Markson said.

“This is a horrendous call for uprising today and last night, at a time when social unrest is at boiling point.

“Bringing this division, this hatred to Australia is only creating an unsafe environment for students.

“The truth is, at the University of Sydney, Jewish students no longer feel safe to go on campus.”


Greens Senator slammed over ‘irresponsible’ post after backing Sydney Uni pro-Palestine protest
Sky News host Sharri Markson has lashed out at Greens Senator David Shoebridge over a “highly irresponsible” post he shared on social media after he backed pro-Palestinian protests at Sydney University.

Students at Sydney University on Tuesday set up a pro-Palestine camp on campus grounds after a similar movement saw hundreds of students arrested in the United States.

Greens Senator David Shoebridge took to social media on Tuesday night supporting the action.

‘USyd students occupy quad lawns in solidarity with Gaza tonight,’ he said.

The Greens Senator later took to Instagram to share a video where the lyrics say: ‘It's about time that we globalise the Intifada’.

Ms Markson labelled the post from Mr Shoebridge “outrageous”.

“This is seriously outrageous … that is highly irresponsible for a federal greens politician to have posted that,” she said.

“Highly irresponsible, to say the least.”


Megyn Kelly torches universities ‘rolling over’ for ‘anti-Semitic protesters'
Sky News contributor Megyn Kelly says the “cowardice of the leadership” at universities across the board such as Columbia University is “absolutely disgusting”.

Anti-Israel protests that have engulfed the university are metastasising— spreading to other elite schools and to campuses around the country.

“I’m so disappointed in them – my expectations are appropriately set so it’s not like they’ve let me down big time,” Ms Kelly told Sky News host Paul Murray.

“If you look at Ron DeSantis who is the governor of Florida and has instituted rules for the state universities down there; he would never let this happen.

“What’s happening at places like Columbia and Yale and NYU is they are rolling over for these angry, anti-Semitic protesters.”


Jewish Passover events moved from college campuses ‘like it is 1938 Germany’
Sky News host James Morrow made a harrowing comparison to the treatment of Jews at some college campuses in America.

"We have seen scenes at places like Yale University where Jewish students were stopped physically – stopped, restrained from entering the campus," he said.

"Passover Shabbat dinners have had to be moved for fear of their safety like it is 1938 Germany.

"An awful lot of the demonstrations are really not just saying we want peace from Gaza, we want to support the Palestinian people.

"People have signs supporting Al Qassam Brigades and Hamas and calling on the elimination, the actual elimination of the state of Israel."






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I Have Traveled From 1948 To See The Glorious Islamic Future Of Southern Syria by Abd al-Qadir Husseini (PreOccupied Territory)

April 25, 2024, 11:30 am
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Our weekly column from the humor site PreOccupied Territory.

Check out their Facebook page.




I Have Traveled From 1948 To See The Glorious Islamic Future Of Southern Syria  

by Abd al-Qadir Husseini

Qastel, Jerusalem suburbs, April 25 - The opportunity we have awaited for so long finally presents itself: once and for all, when the British leave, we and our Arab brethren from all over will sweep the Jew into the sea and reassert Islamic dominance in this place. My brothers, I have the opportunity to get a glimpse, via time machine, of what the Levant will look like in seventy-six years, and the excitement of what I expect to witness and share with you in my reports makes me utterly giddy.

With our glorious victory in the present so imminent, I look forward to bringing you tidings, seven-plus decades hence, of restored Islamic glory, if not under the bygone Ottomans, then under the proud rule of, I don't know, does it matter whether King Farouk of Egypt, King Abdullah of Hashemite Transjordan, or whichever Syrian potentate ends up spearheading the triumph? Perhaps our fractured Arab peoples will unite. A fellow can dream of a future long after the final triumph over the cursed Jews.

My cousin the mufti already made strides in that effort by allying with Hitler and advising him on how best to deal with those Jews. He and I both gave the Jews here a taste of what awaits them, with cousin Amin even sparking mass murder of Jews in faraway Baghdad! Those weak Jews will melt away before my irregulars of the Army of the Holy War and our allies from all over the region. Surely, in seventy-six years, we will have witnessed a restoration of serenity and rightful Islamic dominance with no more foreign imperialism controlling us here in Southern Syria.

The imperialism of the Hashemites, Egyptians, and Syrians does not count, obviously. They would NEVER simply try to seize the land of the British Mandate for themselves. I will show you, upon my return, that the history in the future will prove me right!

As for the Jews - will there we any left? Not here. Whosoever survives will flee. We will plunder! We will have no mercy! Maybe we will enslave a handful? I doubt I will see any in the future. Hitler fell short, but Stalin will not. The rest will simply disappear. That is what happens to Jews, right? They just fade away and disappear into history.

Not my glorious Army of the Holy War. We will live on! I will show you when I get back.

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The Longest Pause: My Cardiac Arrest and Me (Judean Rose, Part III)

April 25, 2024, 1:00 pm
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I slid off the chair to the floor, but I know nothing of this. I am gone. Only later do I ask Dov, my husband, how it happened. “Slid” was his word. “You slid off the chair onto the floor,” said Dov.

“Did I hit my head?”

“No, the medics kind of caught you and eased you down to the floor.”

“Then what happened?”

“The MDA guy immediately started compressions,” says Dov, with some awe in his voice. He is obviously impressed with the grace and speed with which this impromptu team of medics sprang into action.

I chew this over for a few days, this scenario, as described to me by my husband.

Slowly more questions occur. “What did I look like?”

“You were white,” his voice catches.

I hear that it is too difficult for him to speak about it—he had watched me die. Still, I have to ask. “Like all-over white? Were my lips white?”

“You were completely white,” he says.

I take mercy on him and table my questions. For now.

As for what I remember, it was this. I knew nothing. Not a thing. And then I was aware of blackness, and slowly color came, pixelated at first, and stole over the blackness and I heard, “Varda, Varda!” my husband’s voice, and the medics’ voices, and someone was slapping my face, and the MDA guy said. “Varda, your heart stopped for two seconds. You are going to the hospital.”

“No, no. I don’t want to go.”

Basically, at this point, I was not compos mentis. I think I hadn’t been for much of the time the medics were with me, because if it had really been a money thing—my mind would have long been at rest. The medics called MDA in spite of me, which already meant I was off the hook for payment. And now that my heart had stopped, there was no way I would not be admitted, which meant I would not have to pay for an ER visit. It is therefore impossible for me to explain the true reasons for why I continued to protest. “Is it about the money, or something else?” asked the MDA guy as I continued to protest.

“It’s the money . . .” I said.

“Ah ha! Varda,” said the MDA guy,” you are not going to have to pay. Your heart stopped.”

 “. . . and my husband,” I said, in a feeble voice. “He needs me to take care of him,” but no one heard me. They were too busy strapping me onto a stretcher in preparation to take me out of our apartment for transport in the ambulance.

“I’m sorry. I’m so heavy,” I said, embarrassed.

“You’re not so heavy,” said the MDA guy.

As they take me out of the apartment, I see the sky is no longer dark, as it had been when I awoke that morning. More embarrassment, thinking of the neighbors on our quiet street, waking up to the ruckus of medics loading someone in crisis (me) into an ambulance. I feel bad to be the cause of this too early, too noisy, rude awakening.

I am in the ambulance, and as we drive away, I feel as though I am flailing from side to side, unmoored. “But how will I keep from falling?” I say aloud.

“Don’t worry,” says Elisheva the medic, who is also my friend. “We strapped you in very well. You can’t fall.”

It didn’t feel like it. I didn’t feel the straps, but I trust Elisheva. There is no place to look but up, so I do. I am looking at the interior of the roof of the ambulance. Everything is as if in brownout. Then suddenly the brown lifts away and the “ceiling” looks bright white. “I feel better!” I cry out.

Elisheva says, “Good, good!” encouraging me. Then the brownout returns. This happens several times. Each time the foggy, beigey brown clears to white, I say, “I feel better!” surprised. Relieved.

Each time, Elisheva says, “Good!”

At some point during the ride to the hospital, I wonder why this is happening to me. And then I know. It is October 7. It is the atrocities, the war, the ongoing situation with the hostages. I lift my head and look at Elisheva, “The hostages,” I cry to her, knowing she will feel me. “I can’t bear it,” I say and both she and the MDA guy look at me, and the brownout comes once more.

It was the most alive I had felt since this whole thing began. And I knew that what I had promised would not happen, had happened.

At the start of the war I had said to myself, “I will not let Hamas break me,” and now it had. I had broken. It had been too much for me. I was human, flesh and blood. It was too much for a body to bear and not be overcome. I had suppressed it too much. Had tried to, anyway.

I had vowed not to write about the atrocities, not to play the poor us card before the world. I talked “around” the harshness, the hideousness of Hamas and what they had done and continue to do, in my columns. I wrote about rape fear, rather than rape. I wrote about Gazan support for Hamas; the “ceasefire deal with the devil;” the dirty money trail that led to October 7th; the fickleness of Joe Biden in regard to his (non)support for Israel; and so on and so forth. Anything but to talk about women raped until finally dead, their legs that could not be closed, but stood at odd angles, broken. Raped front and back, the men, too. Women raped in front of their husbands, husbands raped in front of their wives. Daughters, sisters, children in front of parents, in front of each other. Sights and sounds that would haunt the survivors, the few of them that remained, forever.

I vowed not to write about any of this, even as it ate me from inside. I knew it was eating me from inside. But it was not fair for me to be feeling this. I was not the one suffering. The suffering belonged to the raped, the murdered, the decapitated—those who could no longer feel, and those who felt still, wherever they were, in the depths of some tunnel suffering unimaginable horrors.

I remember the day I heard about Hamas baking a baby in an oven. I was in the car with my husband when I read it on X, and I cried out. “What?” asked my husband.

But I could not tell him. First because I was too consumed with the pain, the thought of the baby and what it experienced, and then because I knew it was too upsetting to share. It was something that was new to me. It had obviously just come to light. I didn’t want anyone else to have to know this—to have to live with this knowledge of the baby, in the oven, and what it experienced. Even now, I can’t write about it without crying.

I moaned and cried in the car the whole way home, telling my husband, “You don’t want to know. It’s too awful. It’s too awful.”

He understood I had heard about an atrocity just come to light and he said I was right. He didn’t want to know. So I moaned and wailed the whole way home. I couldn’t stop. I cried about this on and off for days. Couldn’t, shouldn’t wipe it out of my mind, and it ate away at me and ate away at me. But I did not deserve to have this pain, I thought. It wasn’t about me, but about the victims. I had no right to make it about me.

Years ago, when my column was hosted on a different platform, it was understood that the terror victim beat was mine. I had a knack for making people feel the horror, for making it real, for making the victim real, someone the reader had never met. I had a knack for making women cry, reading my words.

And it began to feel icky, to feel exploitative. I didn’t want to have thousands of pageviews only when I wrote about tragedy that didn’t feel as though it rightly belonged to me. It was a writerly trick, no more. I stopped. I didn’t want to do it anymore.

Plus, I have to say it affected me. I took it to heart. I thought about the victims all the time. I dreamt of them. I carried them with me. It hurt my heart. My heart. And finally my heart stopped. It had had enough, had broken.

Hamas had, indeed, broken me. Broken my heart.

Several times a day I think about the hostages and the victims of October 7, and my eyes well up with tears. “No! It’s not about YOU,” I chide myself, though I know that this is my people and I too, own the sorrow and the tragedy.

And yet something inside me feels guilty for imagining that I know anything at all about what these people, MY people had suffered—even now continue to suffer! I can picture it all in my writer’s mind. I’m a creative. I picture everything in “living color,” the full horror of it all. I hear the sounds, the flames, the screaming, I picture the baby. I can’t, I can’t.

***
In the ER, Elisheva sits by me as I go in and out of that strange brownout. “How long is this going to take,” I ask her. “I need to get home to take care of Dov.”

“You’re not going to be taking care of Dov, now.”

“But he just had surgery!” I moan.

“You’re not going to be caring for Dov. And you’re not going to be cleaning for Pesach.

I continue to protest.

“Varda, this is serious,” she says.

Finally, I get it. Just as I finally understood that I had to go in the ambulance—had to go to the hospital. I lie back. I accept it for what it is. I died.

“You weren’t with us for a while,” says Elisheva, “You were lucky you were awake when it happened.”

***

The day the war breaks out, I awaken to the noise of war. Booms. Artillery. I know what I am hearing. My husband comes home from shul to tell me what he knows. But he sees that I know and understand that we are at war.

Not that I did know or understand. I could not have imagined the full horror of it all. No one could have imagined it except for the sick minds of the black-souled terrorists who perpetrated deeds the Devil himself could not imagine and would never have contemplated.

My youngest begins getting ready to go back to base. His elder brother says, “What’s with all the panic? Slow down,” and I hear the younger say, “You don’t understand!” and then whisper something about thousands of terrorists on the loose, terrible things happening, terrible.

He gets ready to go, and as he’s going down the walk to his car, the sirens go off and we make him come back in to go into the safe room. Finally, he is able to leave with whatever food I can pack for him in a hurry.

Later, as the holiday comes to a close, the other son says to me, “Don’t listen to the news. I’m telling you, Eema. Don’t listen to the news.”

Telling me not to listen to the news is like telling me not to breathe the air, not to drink water. I am all about the news. “Don’t do it, Eema,” he says, my son, so wise beyond his years. “It’s not just the war on the battlefield. There’s also the psychological war. They want to break us, Hamas.”

That stays with me. “Hamas wants to break us.”

I vow that Hamas will not break me. I say it to myself all day long—say it until I am blue in the face. But invariably, I hear things on the news. I cannot live under a rock. I need to know what is going on. And I hear terrible things. Things that break me more and more.

Each time I chide myself. “How dare you make it about you? How dare you,” but I can’t stop it from eating away at me. It nibbles at my heart, at the very core of me.

Sometimes I listen to the testimonies of the survivors obsessively. I can’t stop. I also cannot bear to hear them. “You’re not the only one,” I tell myself. “Everyone in the country feels what you feel. Everyone. And the survivors have it far worse—feel it far worse than you ever could”

But the hostages? How can I not feel this? The scenarios of what is happening to them come to me unbidden. I can’t help it. I picture it all. I picture it all. I cannot stop.

And it eats away at me, at my heart, until my heart said “ENOUGH,” and stops on a strange dark morning.

I don’t really understand why, after it stops, my heart once more begins to beat, except that God puts this instinct to live in all of us. We live, sometimes with terrible knowledge, in spite of ourselves. Whether or not we feel we can bear it all—all that life throws at us.

Later, in the hospital, the doctor comes to tell me that my heart stopped for 30 seconds. He seems impressed by this number. My son who accompanies me to the hospital trades glances with me. We’d gone from the two seconds cited by the MDA guy to 30.

That was in the ER.

Sometime after I am moved to the Intensive Care Cardiac Unit, another doctor comes and says, “You had a ‘pause’ of 40 seconds.”

My son and I look at each other, both of us thinking, “First two seconds, then 30 seconds, and now 40??”

The doctor nods. “Yes,” he says. “I counted it. There was a lot of ‘noise’ on the EKG but I counted it myself and it was 40.”

We can see this is a long time from his perspective—that he is impressed by this number.

Actual screenshot from my hospital release letter detailing the 40-second "pause."

The next morning, the ward cardiologist comes to see me and he explains that there are pauses, long pauses, and very long pauses. Mine was apparently impressively long. “That is a LOOOOONG pause,” the white-haired physician tells me, adding that in his entire career, he had never seen such a long “pause.”

After many days and much testing—the tilt test, a shot of atropine, an MRI—the doctors decide to put in a pacemaker. The local anesthetic doesn’t work, and I scream as the knife slices into my flesh. “This is nothing,” I tell myself on the table, “compared to what the hostages are suffering, compared to what the victims of October 7 suffered.”

I am certain Hashem is giving me just the smallest taste of what they felt/feel in their agony. Just the tiniest taste, so that I will have some understanding, just a glimpse of what they went through, are still going through. They deserve that, the victims and survivors. They deserve for us to know and to feel it, too.

Our people, a part of us. A part of my own flesh, my own blood, my own people, my nation. My heart. I hope that in some way, my experience on the table will serve as a kapara against whatever sins had brought this down upon our people. “This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my atonement.”

Once home, I ask two cardiologist friends, “What’s the longest ‘pause’ you’ve seen in a patient.”

One says, “Ten seconds,” the other says, “Ten, maybe 15 seconds. Three seconds earns you a pacemaker, he adds.”

Neither one had seen a 40-second pause.

When I go back for my two-week checkup, the doctor squints at me, trying to place me. I say, “I’m the one with the 40-second pause,” and she remembers the case immediately, if not my face. What was my face to these physicians? I was a “pause.”

The longest pause they had seen. I was a miracle: In spite of Hamas, and almost in spite of myself, I lived.

Hamas broke me, but didn’t break me, because I lived.

My heart is not the same and there is lasting damage, yet I live to tell the tale.

I live.

Because that is what the Jewish people do. We live and outlive our enemies. And there is not a thing they can do about it. It’s ordained by someone far more powerful than Hamas. And Hamas will come to know this as the flames begin to lick at their feet for all eternity.

No one can best Hashem. No one. The Jewish people will dust themselves off, never forgetting what has been done to them, and they/we will continue to live.

Our God is more powerful than Hamas, than even the worst that Hamas can do to us. The evil ones will never, ultimately, win.

As for me, my heart will never be the same, and that is only right. I am not stone, should not be stone when my/our people are suffering. 

Now I know: it’s not that my heart betrayed me. I had to break, a least a little. My injured heart proved to me that I am human, something that Hamas will never be.


Earlier: Part I: Varda wakes up, and begins to feel truly ill, and Part II: The medics arrive.

Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!

 

 

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04/25 Links Pt2: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like 1938; Camping Out at Columbia’s Communist Coachella; When Western culture goes mad, it attacks Jews

April 25, 2024, 3:00 pm
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From Ian:

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like 1938
If Jews do not feel safe on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, in New York City, in the United States of America, where can they feel safe?

NYC is home to some 1.3 million Jews, the most outside of Israel. Jewish men and women have thrived in The Big Apple for hundreds of years, enjoying religious freedom, prosperity, political power, and the affection and goodwill of millions of their gentile neighbors, colleagues, and loved ones.

Jewish culture is NYC culture. New Yorkers of all stripes schlep packages to the Post Office, kvetch when things go awry, and mock their friends when they act like putzes. Those of us who call NYC home need not be Jewish to speak and act this way. We live in New York. We pick it up.

However, things lately have been far from dancing the Horah.

Protests began after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre against Israel. The Iranian-sponsored terrorist group butchered some 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 240 hostages from Israel, America, and other nations. These demonstrations have devolved from opposition to Israel’s self-defense against these killers from the Gaza Strip, into support for Hamas, and now open hatred of Jews, per se.

At Columbia University, many pro-Hamas protesters are dressed in the black and white keffiyeh headdresses that are the Brownshirts of the Palestinazis. In recent days, they have waved Hamas flags, yelled Hamas slogans, and intimidated, threatened, and assaulted Jewish students, particularly those who wear yarmulkes and otherwise visually identify themselves as Jews.

Israeli and U.S. flags have been set ablaze.

“We are Hamas!” one protester yelled, just outside the campus gates, while banging a pot against a police barricade.

“You guys are all inbred,” one protester screamed at sophomore Jonathan Lederer and some 20 Jewish students singing songs of peace on campus Saturday, just before the pro-Hamas faction threw water in their faces and hurled projectiles at Lederer’s head and chest.

The anti-Semites also chanted: “We say justice, you say how? Burn Tel Aviv to the ground.” Also: “Hamas, we love you. We support your rockets, too.”

“Go back to Poland!” another pro-Hamas thug screamed at a Jewish student. “We all know how things turned out the last time the Jews were in Poland,” he said on Fox & Friends yesterday morning.

“The environment at Columbia University is absolutely dreadful,” graduate student Xavier Westergaard said Monday on America Reports. Campus police may not do anything “when presented with issues ranging from ‘I’ve just been spat on,’ ‘I’ve just been yelled at,’ ‘I’ve just been kicked.’ People are yelling, ‘Jewish students die,’ ‘Jews go back to Poland.’ This is insane. It feels like anarchy, and we are not being supported by our university.”
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The Contagion of University Pro-Hamas Protests
The situation unfolding across college campuses in the United States is a complicated one, and bears reflection. I do not propose anything definitive, but I wanted to share a few thoughts.

A Very Brief History of the University:
The first question we must ask is “What are universities even for?” It is not an easy one. They began as institutions to train clerics in theology and philosophy, and evolved gradually into places for training gentleman scholars. Oxford and Cambridge in the 19th century did not live up to the model St. John Henry Newman describes in The Idea of a University, but they did a much better job than we do today. Over time, led by the Germans, universities became multiversities, where scholars ceased to attempt to build a comprehensive view of the world, instead locking themselves in siloed sub-fields.

Restoration, with Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Next, American universities led the transition away from scholarship and towards professionalization. People started studying “business arts,” as if business were the same sort of activity as the pursuit of truth for its own sake. I have nothing against business. Making a good living for one’s family is noble. But insofar as it is an art, it is a servile one, not a liberal one. Accompanying professionalization was, paradoxically, radicalization. People who wanted to get on with life started studying to be accountants and engineers; radicals took over what remained of the liberal arts. This decay is best chronicled by Allan Bloom in The Closing of the American Mind, a book I encourage you all to read.

Now we are witnessing the completion of the university’s unraveling. We hardly even produce professionals now, but activists who take a few Zoom classes on racialized communism and spend the rest of their time scrolling TikTok and indulging resentment. Middle managers may not be philosophers, but at least they do something useful. A degree in Queer Theory prepares you for no life beyond perpetual adolescent whining. The professors of the 60’s gave up the classics to focus on changing the world. Well, they succeeded. Moral formation has been replaced by sweet, glorious self-pity and the narcissistic pursuit of utopia. Beauty is something to be deconstructed by art and architecture students in ever-uglier buildings. And truth? In their minds, there is no such thing. Only power remains. How terrible it must be to see the whole of existence through culturally Marxist eyes! Terrible, but, at least, cognitively undemanding.

The radical cultural Marxists weakened universities and, by extension, society. They also made it easier for radical Islam to infiltrate universities, filling the moral vacuum the radicals created with their hazy relativism. This unholy combination of radicals and Islamists then preyed on the impressionable elite students entrusted to the universities. Long story short: We have future graduates of Columbia, NYU, Harvard, and beyond bleating Pro-Hamas slogans spoon-fed to them by hardened extremists. Students who fancy themselves freedom fighters shouting “Intifada and martyrdom.” In their obnoxious gullibility they fail to see what those slogans would mean if applied to their young lives. If you’re wondering, look at what happened to the Israeli students at the Nova festival on October 7th. So ignorant and out of touch are these Ivy League scholars that they do not know that the kids dancing at that ill-fated festival were young, liberal peaceniks.
Seth Mandel: Dr. Snowflake and Mr. Intifada
Unhoused, unfed, and even temporarily unschooled, this freedom fighter would have her story told. Except, it wasn’t actually her story. In fact, Isra Omar and her peers were warned explicitly of the consequences of their Hamasville tent city, which they set up the same day Omar’s mother browbeat the president of the university from which Omar was threatened with suspension. It’s just that Omar genuinely could not imagine that she personally would face consequences—as if she were just any other kid. Her mother the congresswoman worked very hard to intimidate Columbia President Minouche Shafik on television before Congress, and yet she was given no special treatment.

Ilhan Omar’s fellow squadnik Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has her back. She worried about “violent” cops at Columbia (of which there have been exactly zero), demanding to know why “counterterror units” were on the scene. That is, she worried that people who pledged their sympathy to a terror organization and then called on that terror organization to come kill Jewish students on campus might be made to feel unsafe by the presence of antiterrorism police.

Back to that hearing: Shafik was asked why Columbia hired as a visiting professor Mohamed Abdou, who was repeatedly, vocally supportive of Hamas and their Oct. 7 slaughter of innocents. Shafik wavered on what Abdou was doing on campus at the moment, but she swore he’d never teach his “Decolonial-Queerness & Abolition” class at Columbia again. (Which didn’t answer the question of why he’d been hired in the first place.) This week while reporting on the protests at Columbia, Free Beacon reporter Jessica Costescu noticed Abdou hanging around the encampment and started filming the scene. She was approached by a student who told her to stop filming for “safety” reasons.

So you see, these students and their congresspersons aren’t heartless monsters. They care deeply—for themselves. They just want to feel safe to threaten some Jewish students and to physically assault others. And of course, if there are Jews who want to join them in pledging fealty to Hamas, they will advocate for their safety too. It’s a big tent city.


Camping Out at Columbia’s Communist Coachella
It’s a Monday afternoon at Columbia University, but hundreds of students are not in class. They’re camped out on a lawn in front of the main library, making friendship bracelets, painting scraps of cardboard, and gossiping about the Zionists on campus.

“What should I do?” a girl with a mullet pops out of a tent to ask her friend. She’s holding a Sharpie in her hand, staring at a blank poster board. “I’m thinking ‘Dykes for Divestment.’ ”

A few steps away, in front of a sign that says “Paint Ur Nails 4 Palestine,” a girl is fanning her freshly polished red toenails. Nearby, a student with Farrah Fawcett’s hairstyle—except purple—is frantically asking other students if they’ve seen her vape. When she finds it buried under a copy of Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks and a hoodie, she gasps and clutches it to her heart. No one is paying much attention to a nearby woman with a microphone, desperately trying to rally the crowd.

“Continue to support each other. This is all we have,” she declares. “Onward to liberation.”

There is a brief pause, and then about a dozen students start clapping.

Welcome to the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” a sprawling tent city with a first aid center, a counseling tent, a “People’s Library for Liberated Learning,” a writing center, an art corner, a media corner, and a “laundry area” for drying clothes after a rainfall. A student named Ariella, whose entire face is wrapped in a red keffiyeh except for two bright green eyes, tells me “there is a space” for everyone at the camp.

“They say that everybody has a role in the revolution,” they told me (Ariella goes by they/them pronouns). “And so there’s a space for people who like to organize stuff—and that’s me.”


FBI Won’t Say If It’s Investigating Self-Declared ‘Hamas’ Terrorists Protesting At U.S. Universities
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would not say Tuesday whether it is investigating people identifying themselves as part of a foreign terrorist organization heard chanting “We are Hamas” outside U.S. universities including Columbia.

Video footage shows masked Islamists taunting Jewish students outside of President Barack Obama’s alma mater. One woman shouted at a pro-Israel activist, “We are Hamas” while standing outside Columbia University. “We’re all Hamas.”

Another man who covered his face was seen on video promising more mass slaughter, rape, and kidnapping: “Remember the 7th of October! That will happen not one more time, not five more times, to 10 more times, not 100 more times, not 1,000 more times, but 10,000 times!”

“Never forget the 7th of October,” another unidentifiable man donning the Palestinian flag outside the university screams in a video recording. “Are you ready? Seventh of October is about to be every day. Every day. Seventh of October is going to be every day for you.”

The Federalist asked the FBI whether they would investigate the self-proclaimed terrorists.

“Thank you for your inquiry. However, we decline comment on this matter,” the bureau replied.

The FBI designates Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Michael Oren: FBI must investigate money trail behind campus antisemitic protests
Starting April 17, pro-Palestinian students at Columbia University established the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, launching a campaign demanding that the university divest from Israel. The New York-based Ivy League school joins universities across the United States, such as Emerson, Vanderbilt, Yale, and the University of California, Berkeley that have seen similar protests, along with a rise in reported antisemitic incidents.

The Media Line spoke to former Israeli Ambassador to the US and Columbia alumnus Michael Oren, who expressed deep concern over the situation. He described the current campus climate as "intolerable, unacceptable, and exceedingly dangerous," impacting not only Jews but also the broader Western society. Oren traced the origins of these sentiments back to the 1960s youth revolutions.

After their initial failure, he said, these movements embedded themselves in academia, subtly promoting anti-establishment ideologies over decades. “They went back into the campus and spent 50 years instilling their ideas into students and professors to inspire government officials and corporate executives on this particular set of self-declared anti-establishment ideas as trojan horses for antisemitism.”

Anti-war protests of today are actually pro-war
Oren drew parallels between the 1968 anti-war riots and today's campus movements, which he views as pro-war due to their exclusion of Israel.

This shift has notably affected disciplines like American Studies, which have become distinctly anti-American, Oren continued. He also pointed out that even some Jewish academics have joined the anti-Israel chorus, failing to recognize the potential negative consequences for themselves. “They fail to see that this path also ends badly for them.”
NGO Monitor: The NGO Network Orchestrating Antisemitic Incitement on American Campuses
In the wake of October 7, the exponential rise in antisemitic violence, incitement, intimidation, and harassment on and around campuses in the United States is not the product of spontaneous protests of individuals. Rather, they are tightly coordinated and well-funded by a network of radical and often antisemitic non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Within Our Lifetime, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and Samidoun. Under the guise of human rights and justice, these NGOs work to undermine the economic, military and other ties between US and Israel, and to besiege and divide the US Jewish community.

All of these groups have supported and justified the October 7th massacre, as well as other attacks. Many of the NGOs in the network are directly linked to designated Palestinian terror organizations.

A common feature of all these NGOs is non-transparent funding and structure, as documented in detailed NGO Monitor research.

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) – founded 1993 at UC Berkeley
- SJP in different forms is the campus organization most directly responsible for creating a hostile campus environment saturated with anti-Israel propaganda agendas and events, BDS initiatives, and intimidation. Each SJP chapter claims to operate independently although the evidence demonstrates close coordination and shared resources, apparently coordinated through the amorphous National SJP framework.
- In October 2023, in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attack, SJP published a statement referring to the violence as a “historic win for the Palestinian resistance.” SJP additionally claimed, “This is what it means to Free Palestine: not just slogans and rallies, but armed confrontation with the oppressors.”
- National SJP and the numerous SJP branches are not registered as 501(c)(3) nonprofits and their structures and operating processes are not transparent. They are not subject to laws requiring financial disclosure. The small amounts distributed by student governments for clubs like SJP do not match the scope of activities.
- SJP founder Hatem Bazian is also the co-founder of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). According to AMP, “We also work in broad-based coalitions and support campus activism through Students for Justice in Palestine.” Little is known about donors to AJP, which reported $1.7 million in income and $1.2 million in expenses in 2021.
- Non-transparent funding: WESPAC Foundation, a Westchester, New York-based organization registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, serves as the fiscal sponsor for National SJP.
- For more information on SJP and AMP funding, read NGO Monitor’s report, “Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP): Available Funding and Other Information.”


We took a look at the protests on US campuses... They're not what you think
Let's not sugarcoat it: these protests are not about peace but about spreading anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments. The media's portrayal has often obscured these truths, gaslighting Jewish students and downplaying the violence they face.

When hate speaks loud, we must speak louder.


Antisemitism is everywhere. We tracked it across all 50 states.
In Nevada, there are Jews who have hidden any signs of their faith, painting over the mezuzahs that hang outside their homes. That’s happened in Texas, too, where a Jewish city council member’s home in Dallas was defaced with bright red graffiti. But Jews in South Carolina say Christians in their community will stop them on the streets to offer prayers. Sometimes, they even get a hug. Just for being Jewish.

Antisemitism is on the rise in America. Some places you feel that, Jews across the country say, others places you don’t. States are not a monolith, nor are people. But we set out to answer a question: What does the widely reported surge in antisemitism look like? As we interviewed people, there were things we heard over and over: Jews are frightened. They’re frustrated. And they all worry about it, even if they feel safe in their own communities.

Antisemitism impacts secular Jews and religious ones, children and adults, regular folks and TV stars. "The things that are happening now are the things that happened which led my grandparents to flee eastern Europe," Mayim Bialik says. Here, she is pictured during a recent trip to Israel.

Actress Mayim Bialik says Jews everywhere are having the same surreal conversations.

“I thought about taking my mezuzah down in the weeks and first couple months after Oct. 7, and I don’t think about that anymore, but I do have a pervasive fear that I will be confronted by someone, especially since I am a public face of being Jewish,” says the former “Big Bang Theory” star. “It’s a fear that I think many of us have experienced, even if you’re not a public person.”

Bialik feels a responsibility to speak out: “I never thought that my platform would have to be used to defend the right of Jews to exist.

“I was raised and educated and even studied the Jewish experience in America, and I knew that there was a tremendous amount of antisemitism both covert and overt, but I did not understand the scale,” she says. “I had no idea of the scale.”
Will Jewish Voters Stop Voting For The Democrats Who Want To Kill Them?
Jewish Americans are going to have to make a decision – the famously Democrat-leaning minority has a big problem because many of its fellow Democrats want them dead. That’s not an exaggeration – the chant of the Democrat’s left wing is not, “From the river to the sea, the Chosen People should be happy, safe, and free.” Kind of the exact opposite. These scumbag commies are so promiscuous with lies about the Jewish people like “apartheid” and “genocide” they ought to hand out rhetorical condoms on the many college quads these loathsome heirs of the Nazis have infested.

Yet Jews in America overwhelmingly vote Democrat. You know, this might be a good time to rethink their traditional leftist voting habits, but that conundrum represents a conflict in human nature – the conflict between self-preservation and self-identity. I don’t know which one is going to win out, but I know what’s going to happen if the Hamas-huggers win out.

I’m not in the business of telling any particular ethnic group how to vote, and I don’t think any particular ethnic group should vote in any particular way. The whole idea of ethnic voting is stupid. But other people seem to have other opinions. Some groups vote as a bloc. Black Americans almost always vote Democrat – something like 90%, though this time Donald Trump seems to be earning a better percentage. Similarly, Jewish Americans are famously liberal voters, with the vast majority supporting Democrats in the past. But things have changed. The position of the Democratic Party is aligned with the far left, which pretty much wants to kill all the Jews. And Biden really, really wants to win the states with large number of Muslims like the despicable Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, whose daughter/niece was recently suspended from the University of College for her hate crimes. The Democrats are not show about excommunicated groups they find to be no longer useful to their goal of attaining power. They famously dumped the white working class in recent decades. Guess we know who’s the next to get the boot.

Now the Democrats are siding with the people who not merely excuse but celebrate the murder of Jews, and who would not hesitate to bring October 7th here. I talk about that in my new book – these Gaza-loving geebos will be eager accomplices to the terrorist attack Biden’s weakness is inviting. Does that assessment sound harsh? Maybe, but it’s entirely true. They know it, we know it, and the only people who don’t know it are the people who don’t want to know it. You cannot look at these braying brown shirts with their stupid headgear and ubiquitous face masks and not see a pack of keffiyeh-clad Khmer Rouge wannabes unless you choose not to.
Biden administration caving to BDS tactics against Israel
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is reportedly considering blacklisting the IDF’s Netzach Yehuda Battalion under the “Leahy Laws,” two statutory provisions that, according to the State Department, prohibit the U.S. government “from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights.”

Extreme political NGOs and rights organizations often falsely accuse Israel of committing human rights abuses. In October 2022, DAWN (Democracy for the Arab World Now) submitted to the State Department a Leahy Law referral against the Netzach Yehuda Battalion for alleged “systematic and widespread abuses.”

The battalion, an exclusively male, ultra-Orthodox battalion that, until late 2022 served in the Jordan Valley and Samaria and today operates in Gaza fighting Hamas terrorists, has faced accusations of abuse, most notably in the case of 78-year-old Palestinian-American Omar As’ad, who in 2022 died after being detained by the battalion.

But many critics see this hostile move as nothing short of preposterous, with the Biden administration hoping to win over anti-Israel voters ahead of the U.S. elections in November by delegitimizing the Jewish state as it fights a crucial war against a genocidal enemy.

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, specifically blamed U.S. President Joe Biden, telling JNS the president “appears to be ready to cross yet another Rubicon, this time in delegitimizing the military of a close democratic ally by fundamentally questioning its integrity, morality and adherence to the rule of law.”

Goldberg added that the Biden administration is sourcing its information from “radical extremist organizations that work to destroy the State of Israel on a daily basis—some with ties to terrorist organizations.”

According to Goldberg, the ongoing political warfare against Israel “has emboldened Hamas, Hezbollah, and ultimately Iran.

“That Hamas refuses to release any more hostages and that Iran felt so confident in launching 120 ballistic missiles at Israel is a direct result of the Biden administration using BDS delegitimization tactics against a democratic ally,” he said.

In an April 21 post on X, Goldberg called on U.S. senators to “elevate this [the Netzach Yehuda issue] to the President right now before the supplemental has passed the Senate, and get a firm commitment that such a morally bankrupt and irresponsible action will not occur. The House and Senate should ready legislative responses.”

He also accused some employees of the State Department of harboring “virulent anti-Israel sentiment” and said there are “radical anti-Israel activists inside the Biden administration” who have a “long-awaited dream of imposing sanctions on the IDF or its units.”

Goldberg called on committees of jurisdiction to “move expeditiously to demand Secretary Blinken turn over the list of organizations that submitted ‘evidence’ that’s been used as the basis for a potential imposition of sanctions. … All communications on this matter between both State and NSC [the National Security Council] and State and outside groups should be subpoenaed.”
Campus Rioters are not Just Dangerous and Antisemitic. They’re Also Phony.
These protesters are not noble warriors. They are phony rebels. If they really cared about the plight of Palestinians, they wouldn’t have remained silent for decades while Palestinians suffered (and continue to suffer) their worst oppression in places like Jordan and Lebanon. Those “other” Palestinians never mattered, just as the millions of refugees around the world don’t matter, because they have no connection to the world’s ultimate oppressors—white Jews.

No wonder so many of these groups went berserk right after Hamas committed the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. They couldn’t swallow the possibility that big, bad Jews would enter the oppressed class, even for a day or two.

We shouldn’t fall for the trap of “genuine criticism” of Israel. These protests have nothing to do with criticism. No one has ever claimed that Israel is perfect or that it doesn’t make its share of blunders. In fact, you’ll find the biggest demonstrations against the Israeli government in Israel itself. If ever there was a country that didn’t need more piling on, it would be Israel.

The fact that the United Nations condemns Israel more than all other nations combined tells us plenty not about Israel but about the United Nations.

The fact that college rioters are focusing their venom on the world’s most condemned nation tells us plenty not about Israel but about the rioters. It tells us, among other things, that they are not revolutionaries but lame conformists.

As we contain the assault on Jewish students that have turned our campuses into danger zones, anxious Jewish students need not be fooled by the optics of protest. They can gain strength from knowing the true colors of those trying to intimidate them.

The hysterical rioters in their midst are not social justice warriors who want peace in Gaza. They are blowhards pretending to be rebels and picking on the world’s easiest target.
When Western culture goes mad, it attacks Jews
In Pedro Almodovar's film, “La mala educación”, there is an amazing phrase from the protagonist, Ignacio: “I don't believe in anything and therefore I'm not afraid of anything”. Here it is, the new spirit blowing in the West from Columbia University to the Biennale in Venice, one of the world’s most famous artistic festivals which opened this week in Italy.

A progressive, inclusive, anti-colonial Biennale open to the "South of the world", where sexual gender and geographical origin count more than talent.

In a work exhibited in Spain's national pavilion in the Venetian Gardens, Peruvian artist Sandra Gamarra compares the treatment of Palestinian Arabs to discrimination against transgender people. “Transbody is to normative heterosexuality what Palestine is to the West: a colony whose extent and form are perpetuated only through violence,” Gamarra wrote in the work.

Fabulous!

In the work at the Bienniale by the Mexican Frieda Toranzo Jaeger, we see a future characterized by queer freedom, ecologism and "Viva Palestina", between a lesbian scene and a reference to Frida Kahlo.

Meanwhile, the ayatollahs, guests in Venice with an exhibition on the "human race" (brilliant), arrested an artist in Tehran who had dared to make fun of the mullahs, painting them in the form of animals. They also subjected her to a “virginity test”.

Fabulous!

Now we all live in the crazy and demented world of Judith Butler, who calls herself “they” but cannot distinguish a democracy that counts heads (Israel) from a caliphate that cuts them off (Gaza).
Anti-Israel bigots do not own our streets
Many have also started counter-protesting the ‘pro-Palestine’ marches directly. There is a sense that the PSC and Co cannot be allowed to own the streets of the UK’s major cities, from London to Liverpool, every Saturday. Many Jews find these weekly marches, with their often outright displays of anti-Semitism, extremely intimidating. If these protests remain unchallenged, onlookers will simply assume that this bigotry speaks for Britain.

The best example of these counter-protests has come from Iranian dissident Niyak Ghorbani. He has been campaigning against the Islamic Republic of Iran for years, but he has recently focussed his attention on Hamas. He wants to remind people that Israel is a key ally in the fight against tyranny. Unlike many in the West, he knows that Israel is on the front line in the struggle against Islamism.

Niyak’s protest strategy is to attend pro-Palestine rallies, full of marchers calling for an immediate ceasefire, while holding a sign that declares Hamas to be a terrorist organisation. This simple act of truth-telling has been incredibly powerful, provoking anger from protesters who would prefer to ignore the fact Israel is fighting a war against Hamas, not Gazan civilians.

His protests have also confused the police, who have arrested and then ‘de-arrested’ him twice since the beginning of March. Niyak’s bravery and tenacity has provoked national debates about Britain’s two-tier approach to policing and has encouraged others to follow suit.

The number of counter-protests has grown since the middle of March. Some have been large and loud, but others have come from small, brave, vocal and local groups. Many of these counter-protests have also been more focussed. Last week, the campaign group ‘Enough is Enough!’ turned up outside a Barclays branch in London, which was being boycotted by the PCS campaign because it does business with Israel. On this occasion, the counter-protesters actually outnumbered the boycotters.

In the current climate, solidarity with the Jewish community and with Israel, as well as greater opposition to arms embargoes and boycotts, are sorely needed. If you can get to London this Saturday, 27 April, then join us for the next lively counter-protest from midday (further details to follow). If not, then join a counter-protest in your area. If there isn’t one, why not set one up? You won’t regret it.


Aviva Klompas: The True Danger of the Chaos at Columbia and Other Elite Universities
So long as Hamas leaders believe Israel is growing more isolated, they will dig in their heels. We saw that in the days after the Iran attack when the terror group rejected yet another proposal to release hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire.

The leaders of Iran, Russia, and China are taking note. Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine. China has its eyes set on Taiwan. And for Iran, Israel is just the appetizer: the "Little Satan" to devour on the way to the "Great Satan" of the United States.

Iran has tested American resolve and found it wanting. It has gotten away with directing terror groups throughout the Middle East to expand its influence across the Levant, with disrupting international commerce in the Red Sea, and even with killing three American soldiers in Jordan earlier this year.

It's no wonder Iran thought it could also get away with firing more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel two weeks ago. Thankfully, Israel, the United States, and their allies were able to repel the missile attack.

Instead of saying enough is enough, President Joe Biden advised Israel to "take the win" and made clear the U.S. would not participate in any retaliatory strikes on Iran.

But In the Middle East, reluctance to engage is seen as weakness and serves only to embolden radical Islamists. It's worth remembering that Israel was only able to make peace with Jordan and Egypt a generation ago after defeating those nations in war.

Israel understands that it must sometimes set aside the concerns of its allies to preserve its security. And so it launched a targeted retaliation to send a message that Iran should think twice before considering another attack.

It is a message that Israel should not be alone in sending. So long as the forces of tyranny believe that there are no real consequences to their aggression, they will continue their onward march.

For now, they can sit back and watch their supporters take over campuses.
How Universities Can Take Back the Quad
Just two weeks ago, Berkeley law students turned Dean Erwin Chemerinsky’s dinner for students at his home into a protest. Prior to the event, radical students published a poster featuring a caricature of Chemerinsky holding a bloody fork and knife, which, said Chemerinsky, “invokes the antisemitic trope of blood libel.” Later, a law student hijacked the dinner to make a speech condemning Israel.

On the East Coast, American University has been targeted. On October 19, multiple Jewish students discovered swastikas graffitied on their dorm room doors. In November, a pro-Israel, Jewish student’s piano recital poster was defaced with a swastika and the words “DEATH TO THE ZIONISTS HITLER WAS RIGHT.” And a protest organized by SJP inside a class building on November 9 clearly violated the school’s code of conduct by intentionally interfering with students’ right to study.

On January 25, about a week after a nonprofit filed a federal complaint against the university for a campus climate hostile to Jewish students, American’s president released a new policy effective for the spring semester that included a ban on indoor protests. Daring the university to enforce its new guidelines, SJP conducted an indoor protest on February 8. The university responded on April 8, putting SJP on probation.

Some administrators are imposing more serious consequences. On April 5, Vanderbilt University announced the expulsion of three students, the suspension of another, and disciplinary probations for 22 other students who had protested Vanderbilt’s refusal to divest from Israel by conducting an overnight sit-in that began with a broken window and an assault on a security officer.

Also on April 5, at Pomona College in California, police arrested 20 anti-Israel protesters who stormed the college president’s office and refused to identify themselves.

A university’s code of conduct serves a foundational role in cultivating an ethical campus community and healthy learning environment. Such codes function as a collegiate “rule of law,” governing a democratic microcosm and transitional training ground for adult citizenship in a diverse democracy.

Unfortunately, too many students are either unaware of their university’s code of conduct, or they don’t mind violating it. Administrators can nip this problem in the bud by including questions about freedom of speech, peaceful protest, and respect for the dignity of others in the application process. And when students accept an offer of admission, leaders should then systematically teach students what the university expects of them during the orientation process, requiring admitted students to certify that they have read the code of conduct and commit to abide by it. School pronouncements about fighting antisemitism and publications of disruptive activity policies are helpful. But clear expectations must be supported by visible, swift, and consistent corrective actions.

And for students who don’t take these expectations seriously, there is no substitute for consequences.
This Cornell Student is Fighting Back
Walking to her sorority house one afternoon, Amanda opened up her phone to see a personal Instagram message calling her a Zionist pig and disparaging her as a disgrace to the human race. Laced throughout the message were several expletives.

Amanda couldn’t believe her eyes! Although she doesn’t have definitive proof, she has reason to believe that the post was sourced from a fellow Cornell student. After all, Amanda has become an easy target; she is the Vice President of Chabad, a board member of the Cornellians for Israel and the house manager for her Jewish sorority, Sigma Delta Tau. She also walks around campus with a water bottle with an Israeli flag and wears a dog tag to remember the hostages in Gaza.

With daily rallies led by pro-Palestinian groups getting louder and increasingly more aggressive, being a Jew on campus has become more than uncomfortable. Yet, Amanda, who grew up in New Jersey, always dreamed of attending Cornell and is determined not to back down. Both her siblings graduated from Cornell and she was excited to follow in their footsteps.

Although her siblings had experienced a tinge of antisemitism, she was ready to expose herself to a diverse group of people. “Unless you plan to attend Yeshiva University or Stern College, no matter which college you choose, you are going to encounter antisemitism. It’s an issue that is deeply ingrained in the fabric of the universities across the country.”

Amanda believes that these ideologies are espoused by professors in a systematic manner. Many of the staff employed by Cornell, are indoctrinating students with their own political ideologies.

Professor Russell Rickford spoke at a rally on Oct 15th, just days after the Oct 7th massacre. “He claimed that he was exhilarated and energized by these atrocious and barbaric attacks. He was placed on a leave of absence for a short time but is now back. Today, he is still found marching through classroom halls, leading the students with despicable chants.”

She believes that professors are taking advantage of impressionable students to spread their personal agendas. They are creating ‘indoctrinated robots’ who consist of students from all backgrounds, chanting for the genocide of the Jewish people with “From the River to the Sea!” and “Globalize Intifada!”

Jewish students taking exams hear the chants of pro-Palestinians through the halls, right outside their classroom door. “The Jewish students are irritated and want to be left alone. Ultimately, they sheepishly sink down into their chairs, keep their heads down and do nothing.”
John McWhorter: I'm a Columbia Professor. The Protests on My Campus Are Not Justice.
In the music humanities class I teach at Columbia University, the surrounding noise is infuriated chanting from protesters outside the building, including lusty chanting of "From the river to the sea." I thought about what would have happened if protesters were instead chanting anti-Black slogans. They would have lasted roughly five minutes before masses of students shouted them down and drove them off the campus. Chants like that would have been condemned as a grave rupture of civilized exchange and branded as a form of violence. Why do so many people think that weekslong campus protests against Israel's very existence are nevertheless permissible?

Conversations I have had place these confrontations within a larger battle against power structures - in the form of what they call colonialism and against whiteness. The idea is that Jewish students and faculty are white. Calling all this peaceful stretches the use of the word rather implausibly. It's an odd kind of peace when a local rabbi urges Jewish students to go home as soon as possible, and it starts to feel normal to see posters and clothing portraying Hamas as heroes.

The protesters and their fellow travelers feel that all of this is social justice on the march. They have been told that righteousness means placing the battle against whiteness and its power front and center. What began as intelligent protest has become, in its uncompromising fury and its ceaselessness, a form of abuse.
Bret Stephens: To Be (Visibly) Jewish in the Ivy League
Yale and other universities have been sites of almost continual demonstrations since Hamas massacred and kidnapped Israelis on Oct. 7. Students have a right to express their views. It's fine, too, to be willing to defy campus rules they believe are unjust - provided they are willing to accept the price of their civil disobedience, including arrest, jail time or suspension. But as the experiences of scores of Jewish students on American campuses testify, we are well past this fine stage.

Why do these students regularly chant slogans like "There is only one solution, intifada revolution," which is an incendiary call to violent action against Jews? The sad fact of campus life today is that speech and behavior that would be considered scandalous if aimed at other minorities are treated as understandable or even commendable when directed at Jews.
The goal of the campus Jew-haters: To render Israel indefensible, in both senses of the word
While Jews have been celebrating the first days of Passover, the ancient festival of freedom, antisemites and their useful idiot collaborators on a swelling number of American university campuses have been rallying and issuing murderous threats in a strategic effort to end Jewish freedom, in the here and now, by destroying the world’s only Jewish majority state.

The underlying goal of the encampments and marches at Columbia, Yale, NYU and the other campuses is to render Israel indefensible — in both senses of the word.

The strategy:
First, to misrepresent what Israel has been subjected to and how it has responded since Hamas invaded our country on October 7, slaughtered 1,200 people, abducted 253 hostages, and then hid behind and beneath Gaza’s civilians in a bid to survive and do it all again.

Second, to falsely brand Israel as a brutal and indifferent aggressor, solely responsible for a soaring Gaza death toll that would, in fact, total precisely zero were it not for Hamas’s genocidal ambitions for the Jews and indifference to the lives of Gazan civilians. Pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protesters gather outside of Columbia University in New York on April 23, 2024. (Charly Triballeau/AFP)

Third, to build pressure for divestment from Israel, for an end to military aid, and ultimately for the severing of Israel’s vital alliance with the United States.

And, finally, to thus deprive Israel of the diplomatic and military means to survive the ongoing effort at its destruction, as effected by Iran and its allies and proxies.

At the root of this strategy is, of course, the oldest of hatreds.

The antisemitism is stirred in this case by Muslim extremists, racists, ignoramuses and self-hating Jews; “inspired” on social media, and partly funded openly and covertly by states seeking Israel’s demise.

And it is being tolerated in an environment that seems to prioritize limitless free speech over the violent consequences of the abuse of that freedom.
'The House That I Live In'*
Before Hitler declared war on the United States in 1941, there were Nazis marching in our streets as Americans.

Today, at college campuses across our nation, there are Americans marching as Nazis and terrorist-supporters, shouting, "We're all Hamas."

Make no mistake about it. When student protestors burn the American flag and chant "Death to America" it has little to do with the Israeli military response to the murderous rampage by Hamas on October 7th and much to do with Iran's grand strategy of bringing death to the "Great Satan" through "useful idiots."

Clearly, the protestors are outraged that Israelis have refused to be the mute, mutilated victims of the last Hamas outrage. After all, violent acts of anti-Semitism and Jew-killing are not supposed to come with a cost to its perpetrators. The "Death to America" crowd must be asking, "When did the Israelis change the rules?"

So these Iranian foot soldiers with student loans have taken to college campuses, where places like Columbia University have been forced to implement virtual learning and Jewish students are warned to stay away for their own safety. Would the universities have responded the same way if the protests had been, say, anti-Black?

There should be little confusion as to what is occurring as police confront and arrest students and their organizers. These are individuals waging a coordinated, lavishly-funded campaign (exact funding has been meticulously researched and published by NGO Monitor) to demonize Jews, Israel, and those who stand against anti-Semitism, and the United States.
Daniel Greenfield: Deport the Hamas occupation of the Ivy League.
We learned that lesson the hard way with the Blind Sheikh and the original World Trade Center bombing along with larger plans to target everything from the Statue of Liberty to bridges and tunnels.

There’s no room for enemy agents in America. The terrorists we harbor will eventually turn on us, whether it’s the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (a Muslim Brotherhood splinter group at the heart of Al Qaeda and its various early attacks in America) or other Islamist operations around the world like the one that led to the Manchester concert bombing in the United Kingdom.

Every non-citizen who publicly supports Islamic terrorist groups should be deported.

Every naturalized citizen that publicly supports Islamic terrorist groups should be denaturalized and then deported.

It’s the plain and simple law. No administration has chosen to enforce it, but that needs to change.

A few arrests followed by desk appearance tickets are not going to make the Hamas occupations of the Ivy League go away.

Start deporting the campus terrorists and suddenly the occupations will go away.
Robert Kraft: Campus leaders must show courage and stop radical professors from poisoning young minds
Over the last several years, starting with the Charlottesville march in 2017, I started to feel a dangerous shift in the country as more and more instances of hate began to rise.

Now we have rampant Jewish hate on college campuses that has been permitted to go largely unchecked.

I started the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) in 2019 for precisely these reasons — to educate young people and appeal to the empathy that I believe all humans are born with.

I felt that it was imperative that we do something to ensure that our country did not start to look like the Germany of the 1940s.

Never could I have imagined that in America, in 2024, that Jewish students would be told by campus administrators to flee their college campus for their own safety.

This is heartbreaking under any circumstance and devastating to know it happened at my alma mater, a school I loved that has given me so much.

My worst fears — what I have spent the last five years fighting against, using FCAS’s blue square, a symbol of standing up to all hate — are being realized and we all need to take action to make it stop.

Unchecked faculties have allowed this hate to grow and fester by using their classrooms for espousing personal views instead of educating.

Their job should not be that of journalists and politicians.

Their job is not to teach students what to think, their job is to teach students how to think.

To that end, the job of administrators is to manage the faculty, not to stand idly by as their campuses are taken over by a minority of students or to compromise with or negotiate with those violating the rules.

The students at our colleges and universities deserve stronger leadership.

Courage to do the right thing, a core attribute of effective leadership, is lacking at the highest level at our nation’s most elite academic institutions.

It is my hope that the governing boards of these institutions prioritize courage to lead and do the right thing when selecting their presidents.


I’ll See Your Charlottesville and Raise You Columbia
No serious person fails to recognize the necessity for Israel to do this. There can be no coexistence between Israel and Hamas, and Israel is not the reason why. Hamas has controlled Gaza for decades, and, in that time, billions of dollars in aid money have poured in, and those resources have been spent on guns, bullets, rockets, and a maze of terror tunnels to facilitate attacks on Israeli civilians.

As for Palestinian civilians, they overwhelmingly support not just Hamas, but the overall mission of killing so many Jews that the rest either leave what is now Israel — so that Arab Muslims can have the region for themselves — or accept dhimmitude — a semi-slavery second-class citizenship status prescribed in Sharia law for non-Muslims.

A while back here at The American Spectator, Dov Fischer correctly noted that, in their attitudes, the “civilians” of Gaza are significantly less blameless than were those of Germany during World War II. No one expressed much approbation then, nor since, over the firebombing of German cities like Dresden as a means of breaking the Germans’ will to continue fighting, and ultimately, German civilians were happy to be conquered by Americans and British — if only because the alternative was to be brutalized and raped by the Soviet troops coming from the other direction.

The Israelis are killing fewer Palestinian civilians as a ratio of the combat fatalities they’re inflicting than we did in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Some of that is the changing and more surgical nature of war, and some of it is Israel’s attempt not to do exactly what they’re being accused of doing — which is inflicting “genocide” on the Palestinians.

But Joe Biden just told you that he “condemns” you if you recognize the truths outlined above. He says that if you “don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians,” that you’re on the same plane with the rioters spouting real “From the river to the sea!” genocidal rhetoric on those campuses and elsewhere.

Unforgivable. And from an American president. For the sole purpose of pandering to the vote of sniveling, overprotected, indoctrinated little monsters on college campuses and the Arab vote in Michigan.

It’s a damned shame we don’t have an honest media in this country. If we had one, they would eviscerate Biden infinitely worse than what Trump received after Charlottesville.
‘For the first time people were truly afraid’: Antisemitism hits boiling point at Columbia U
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the No. 3 House Republican who questioned Shafik during last week’s congressional hearing, called on Columbia to fire the current president and board in a statement.

“While Columbia’s failed leadership spent hundreds of hours preparing for this week’s Congressional hearing, it clearly was an attempt to cover up for their abject failure to enforce their own campus rules and protect Jewish students on campus,” Stefanik said. “Over the past few months and especially the last 24 hours, Columbia’s leadership has clearly lost control of its campus putting Jewish students’ safety at risk. It is crystal clear that Columbia University – previously a beacon of academic excellence founded by Alexander Hamilton – needs new leadership.”

“President Shafik must immediately resign,” Stefanik continued. “And the Columbia Board must appoint a President who will protect Jewish students and enforce school policies.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) announced on Sunday that he would “be coming to Columbia University to walk with the Jewish students” in the wake of the protests.

“If the University won’t protect them, Congress will!” Moskowitz wrote on X.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) used his condemnation to call on Congress to pass his legislation with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) combating antisemitism on college campuses.

“I never imagined seeing this in America. @Columbia’s cowering to antisemitic hate has let terrorist sympathizers take over campus & threaten Jewish students,” Scott wrote on X. “We must pass @SenatorTimScott & my Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act & pull all federal funds from Columbia NOW.”

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), wrote on the platform that, “Hamas & Iran want Jews to feel unsafe everywhere. ‘Til now they couldn’t reach U.S. Jews. Thanks to pro-Hamas campus rioters & feckless administrators, threats to Jews only grow. Incitement is not free speech. College leaders must stop enabling terror & keep Jewish students safe.”

Even Israeli President Isaac Herzog weighed in on the exploding antisemitism at Columbia University and other elite college campuses.

“Firm and strong action must be taken to prevent antisemitism on campus. American academia must wake up to the threat, a clear and present danger to academic freedom and to the very lives of Jews on campus,” Herzog said.
JPost Editorial: Anti-Israel groups on campus must be threatened with their academic standing
The Jerusalem Post sees the rampant hate and calls for violence on campuses worldwide, and most prominently at Columbia University, as an extreme escalation that puts not only Israelis but all Jews in danger. We therefore say that clearing the yard is not enough. Removing the encampment will only encourage these hateful groups to grow louder and potentially take aggressive measures to get their way. What they must actually be threatened with is their academic standing at the university.

How can it be that an Israeli professor was seemingly suspended over complaints that no one has heard or seen publicly, while the anti-Israel students calling for the genocide of Jews are treated exactly the same? Their academic success must depend on their seeing Jews as human beings – otherwise, they should not pass, and they should not receive degrees.

One of these things is not like the other, and it is Shafik and Columbia’s responsibility to handle the issue accordingly. Otherwise, they are telling the Jews on campus: We don’t care in the same way about you.
The masks have come off at Columbia: Students turning on Jewish peers
These Columbia protests had nothing to do with Palestinian liberation and everything to do with harassing Jewish people and calling for the elimination of the Jewish state.

The school has completely lost control. Columbia is unable to deal with aggressive and racist students who disobey the law and are ready to use violence to push their political agenda. For whatever reason, the school can no longer protect Jewish students.

The terrible incidents at Columbia are one of many issues that have come about in the last week. The US has listed over 40 schools that are under investigation for antisemitism. Ohio State University allowed a pro-Hamas rally on their campus where protesters chanted, “The Zionists have got to go.”

No campus police or administrative staff were present, while Jewish students were being subjected to this. At Loyola University, law students disrupted a speaking event with an IDF soldier. The protesters harassed Jews and shouted, “Get the f*** out of here, all you ugly ass little Jewish people,” and raised their red-stained hands.
GOP Delegation Arrives at Columbia To Call for Shafik's Resignation
A group of Republican lawmakers, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), descended on Columbia University on Wednesday and called for school president Minouche Shafik's resignation.

Their remarks, delivered at a press conference on the steps of Columbia's Low Library, elicited near-constant jeers from the student protesters, many of whom have also been demanding Shafik's head.

Johnson, who was joined by fellow Republican representatives Virginia Foxx (N.C.), Anthony D'Esposito (N.Y.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), and Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.), admonished Shafik for allowing "hatred and anti-Semitism to flourish" at the Ivy League institution. He also called for the arrest of the unauthorized student protesters who have occupied the school's south lawn since last Wednesday, when Shafik testified before a House panel on the exclusion of anti-Semitism on the Manhattan campus.

"We just can't allow this kind of hatred and anti-Semitism to flourish on our campuses, and it must be stopped in its tracks," Johnson said. "Those who are perpetrating this violence should be arrested."

"I am here joining my colleagues and calling on President Shafik to resign if she cannot immediately bring order to this chaos," the speaker said.

Johnson told the Washington Free Beacon that if Shafik fails to take immediate action, Columbia's board must find a leader who will.

"This is a dangerous situation, and we met with Jewish students today who are in legitimate fear of their physical safety," Johnson said in an interview following the press conference. "They can't attend classes, they can't study for their finals—it's already stressful enough, right?"

"A university administrator has one first and basic responsibility, and that is the safety and security of their students," he went on. "If they cannot maintain that, they need to find somebody who can."

Foxx, who chairs the House committee that is investigating Columbia, said she has uncovered "key failures in the administration's response to anti-Semitic attacks and displays embroiling this campus."

She told the Free Beacon that Shafik must implement "some kind of penalty" if unauthorized protesters do not leave the encampment voluntarily and that there should be no limit on the number of students arrested or suspended.
WATCH: House Republicans Slam Anti-Semitic Protesters on Columbia's Campus
House speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) and other Republican representatives traveled to Columbia University on Wednesday to denounce the rampant displays of anti-Semitism on the campus.

"A growing number of students have chanted in support of terrorists," Johnson said in an address facing the student protest encampment on the campus lawn. The House speaker said that "no American should have to live under those kinds of threats."

Rep. Mike Lawler (R., N.Y.) called for the resignation of Columbia University president Minouche Shafik, saying "she has lost control" of the institution and "has no intention of getting the university under control."

Shafik has faced backlash since her congressional testimony last week for falling short in combating anti-Semitism at the university. The same day she testified, Columbia students established the protest encampment, which has been the scene of anti-Semitic chants and occasional violence.


Arrested Elbit Protester Posts Messages Calling Israelis ‘Pigs;’ Celebrates Oct. 7 Attack
One of the progressive activists awaiting trial for last November’s attack on an Israeli-owned business in Merrimack is now on social media praising Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack and posting messages calling Israelis “the scum of nations and pigs of the Earth.”

She’s also celebrating the violent protests on college campuses, urging “Two, three, many Columbias.”

Calla Walsh, a 19-year-old progressive activist from Massachusetts, has been described by The New York Times as “representative of an influential new force in Democratic politics.” In New Hampshire, she’s referred to as a “defendant” after a grand jury brought back charges of riot, burglary, and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief over her actions in a protest at the Elbit Systems facility.

Walsh and her fellow Palestine Action US activists broke windows, spattered paint, and ignited an incendiary device on the roof of the building, which an Israeli company owns.

With anti-Israel and openly antisemitic protests breaking out on the campuses of Columbia, MIT, Yale, and other Ivy League colleges, Walsh has joined in. And she’s made it clear she supports the goals of Hamas and other Islamists.

On X, Walsh posted a photo of what she calls the “liberated zone at Columbia,” featuring a “message to the scum of nations and pigs of the Earth: Paradise lies in the shadow of swords.”

The quote, Walsh notes, is from The Lion’s Den, which is a Palestinian resistance group made up of members of militant organizations like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

“Children of Zion, wait for us inside your homes, in the settlements, and deep within the entity,” the Lion’s Den statement says, invoking “the truth of Allah Almighty.”

Walsh also posted a quote from Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida. “The enemy, whose pride we crushed in 60 minutes on Oct. 7th, could not achieve anything in 200 days.”

Walsh declined to respond to multiple requests for comment.


Herd mentality Anti-Israel protesters at NYU admit they have no idea what they’re protesting: ‘I wish I was more educated’
Two Columbia University students who rushed to join NYU’s violent anti-Israel rally are going viral after admitting they had no idea what the protest was about — and wished they were “more educated.”

The unidentified students rattled off their clueless rationale on the steps of the NYU campus in downtown Manhattan as a slew of NYPD cops clad in riot gear stood in the background, as seen in footage viewed more than 3 million times since being shared by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani late Wednesday.

“I think the main goal is just showing our support for Palestine and demanding that NYU stop … I honestly don’t know all of what NYU is doing,” one admitted when asked about the protest’s purpose.


Harvard’s anti-Israel protest tent camp thwarted by 2 a.m. lawn sprinklers
Harvard University’s anti-Israel tent encampment was temporarily thwarted overnight — by a slew of sprinklers that flooded protesters’ tents – as demonstrations rocked other campuses across the country.

Dozens of sleeping protesters who were trying to catch some shuteye were disturbed when the sprinklers suddenly turned on in the middle of the Ivy League’s Cambridge campus.

“As protesters spend their first night in the Harvard Yard encampment, the biggest threat to their stay has not come from administrators or Harvard University police officers, but the Yard’s sprinklers,” the Harvard Crimson student-led paper said early Thursday.

The first sprinkler switched on just outside the encampment in Harvard Yard at about 2:30 a.m. as temperatures dipped to 36 degrees.


93 arrested on USC campus; students detained at University of Texas in latest clash between cops, anti-Israel protesters
Police peacefully arrested 93 student protesters at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, hours after police at a Texas university aggressively detained dozens in the latest clashes between law enforcement and those protesting the Israel-Hamas war on campuses nationwide.

While tensions rose between police and protesters at USC earlier in the day, in the evening a few dozen demonstrators standing in a circle with locked arms were detained one by one without incident.

Police officers encircled the dwindling group, which sat in defiance of an earlier warning to disperse or be arrested.

Beyond the police line, hundreds of onlookers watched as helicopters buzzed overhead. The school closed the campus.

While universities struggling to defuse unrest have quickly turned to law enforcement, the arrests in California were in sharp contrast to the chaos that ensued just hours earlier at the University of Texas at Austin.


Society of Authors ‘hijacked by extremists’ after Gaza motion omits Hamas
The Society of Authors (SoA) has been “hijacked by extremists”, Jewish writers have said, after members tabled a vote on a motion on Gaza that did not mention Hamas, the hostages or the slaughter of Israelis.

The Jewish intellectuals also voiced fears that if the resolution is passed, the next step may be a boycott of “Zionists” themselves.

The motion on Gaza focuses on the number of Palestinians killed, parrots Hamas figures about dead journalists and demands the SoA call for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire”.

The committee of the SoA – Britain’s oldest literary trade union with 12,000 members – opposes the motion, telling the JC: “It is outside the SoA’s remit. The value of the SoA is in the services it provides for members. Our expertise lies in small print: vetting contracts, lobbying government, giving grants and prizes.”

Victoria Selman, a thriller writer, said the resolution was “not the first time we’ve seen this agenda hijack British publishing. It feels like a campaign of stealth against Jewish authors. They can use the term Zionists but they mean Jewish. It’s very uncomfortable.”

“We’re scared of being boycotted,” writer Hilary Freeman added. Another said: “All it takes is one editor who decides not to renew my contract.”
Enough of Nicholas Kristof’s anti-Semitic slobbery, New York Times. Fire the jerk!
The New York Times has a useful feature that tells how long it will take to read a given piece; a typical op-ed takes about 5 minutes of a reader’s time.

But on occasion, op-eds run longer. Nicholas Kristof’s recent cry of his bleeding, afflicted heart, “What Happened to the Joe Biden I Knew?” requires a greater commitment from a reader — 16 minutes, or three times the average.

This is because Mr. Kristof talks of many things to prove his thesis that Biden’s support of Israel’s war effort must end — he talks of the goodness of Biden’s heart and of the badness of Netanyahu’s; he quotes from former ambassadors, advisors, and analysts, as well as from some currently-serving senators; he invokes the history of Vietnam protests and of political disasters they brought upon the Democrats, and warns of potential repeat in 2024; he cites European politicians who see Israel’s war on Hamas as equivalent to Russia’s war on Ukraine. And of course, Mr. Kristof quotes statistics about the terrible, blood-thirsty Israelis (“53 percent of Israeli Jews favor … an all-out attack on Hezbollah;” “more than two-thirds of Jewish Israelis oppose allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza”).

Yet, amidst so many words spent on expressing the sympathy for the poor, much-suffering (and innocent — of course they are innocent, for can the burning hate of Israel and Jews be a sin when it is such a natural emotion, as Mr. Kristof undoubtedly knows from looking in the mirror — can a genuine “progressive” be without it?) Gaza Palestinians whom, in the midst of war on Hamas with whom those innocents heartily sympathize, and whom they faithfully support by acting as human shields — yet whom the cruel Israelis routinely forget to treat to coffee, buns and butter in the morning, to whom they neglect to send a sandwich at lunchtime, and whom they fail to provide a three-course-dinner served on the best china at night, and for whom Mr. Kristof sheds so many impassioned tears, Mr. Kristof forgets to mention one word. This word is — “hostages.”

I kid you not. I excuse you for not believing me, so check it yourself. The text is huge, yet the test is simple: press Ctrl+F to invoke the search function, and put in the word “hostage” into the little search window that will appear above or below Mr. Kristof’s opus, and type in the word “hostage” — and you will see the number of occurrences of that word: “0/0”. Bizarre as it will sound to anyone who ever heard of the Gaza war, the word just isn’t there.

Given its key importance in what’s going on in Gaza, the natural question become, “why is it missing”?

I have a theory. If Mr. Kristof used that word, it would have ruined his entire argument, by giving a simple and natural (rather than malignantly scary) explanation for Israeli attitudes that manifest themselves in Netanyahu’s policies — and for that matter, in Biden’s. A word of truth — “it’s about the hostages” — would wreck Mr. Kristof’s carefully-constructed 16 minutes of lies.
Reviewing three BBC reports about a terror attack
Between April 13th and April 16th the BBC News website published three reports about the disappearance of a 14-year-old Israeli boy on April 12th, the discovery of his body the following day and related violent incidents.

Article 1: 13/4/24 “West Bank: Palestinian man killed after Israeli boy goes missing” by Laurence Peter and Lipika Pelham.

Article 2: 13/4/24 “West Bank: Body of Israeli shepherd, 14 found in West Bank” by Thomas Mackintosh.

Article 3: 16/4/24 “Deadly West Bank settler attacks on Palestinians follow Israeli boy’s killing” by Hugo Bachega (with Alaa Daraghme and Narinder Kalsi).

One notable feature of those three BBC reports is the lack of consistency in presentation of the name of the Israeli boy. In the first article he is named both as Benjamin Ahimeir and Benjamin Achimeir, in the second as Benjamin Achimeir and in the third report his name is presented as Binyamin Ahimeir.
Government-Funded Hot Docs Releases Absurd Press Statement On Gaza Which Never Mentions Hamas Once, Falsely Claims Israel Holding Palestinian Hostages
The popular Hot Docs documentary film festival, which is funded by the City of Toronto and Province of Ontario, released a press statement on April 19 politicizing its upcoming event by formally taking a position on the war between Israel and Hamas.

The statement’s stated goal is to “creat[e] vibrant spaces where … critical exchange of ideas and perspectives can thrive” and to ensure that “understanding and empathy can flourish” as the event seeks to “bring our community together at a time of dire conflict.”

Unfortunately, the statement achieved the exact opposite result, as it engaged in a shocking display of flagrant bias and absurd ignorance of basic facts.

To start, the statement only explicitly referred to “Gaza” and “the Palestinian people” as those with whom it is expressed sympathy for. It made no direct mention of Israel, Hamas or its October 7 massacres of 1,200 innocents in Israel, or the massive Iranian missile attack against the Jewish state, which took place less than a week before the statement was published.

Hot Docs cannot be taken seriously by claiming that they “stand…for the human rights of all peoples to be respected,” while simultaneously being unable or unwilling to utter the word Israel or Hamas, the genocidal Islamic terrorist group responsible for the current war.

In addition to the 1,200 innocent people massacred in Israel on October 7 and the 253 others taken hostage by Hamas, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been displaced from their homes and as many as half a million are suffering from new cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

On October 7, Hamas gunned down nearly 400 innocent civilians — both Israelis and other foreign nationals — while attending a music festival, a celebration of the arts not unlike what Hot Docs purports to be about. Why are these innocent people unworthy of any mention? Do these Jewish lives not matter? And why would anyone trust the sincerity of a statement that seeks to erase their memory from existence?

The authors of the statement also appear grossly misinformed about basic facts.


White House visitor logs contradict Biden spokesman's vow to ban DC official who praised notorious antisemite
A Washington, D.C., official has visited the White House twice since a spokesperson for President Biden said she wouldn't be invited back after she praised noted antisemite Louis Farrakhan, Fox News Digital has learned.

Cora Masters Barry, who was appointed CEO of the city's Recreation Wish List Committee, delivered remarks in mid-2022 praising Farrakhan as a "friend" and "member of the family," adding, "I love you more than words will ever say."

Shortly after her comments, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates condemned Farrakhan and said Barry would not ever be invited back to the White House.

"The president has unequivocally condemned Louis Farrakhan and the hate he represents for decades and co-sponsored bipartisan legislation doing so," Bates told Fox News Digital. "He also denounces any praise of Louis Farrakhan or his repugnant, antisemitic values, including in this case."

However, according to a Fox News Digital review of visitor logs, Barry returned to the White House in June 2023 and again in December 2023.
AOC and fellow House Democrat disagree over support of Israel after ‘shameful’ comment on Bernie Sanders
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) clashed over the latter’s “shameful” comment on Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Moskowitz has emerged as a prominent defender of Israel and has criticized many on the Left over their response to the war in Gaza. On Wednesday, he criticized Sanders for allegedly not properly condemning antisemitism, a remark that drew the ire of Ocasio-Cortez. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jared Moskowitz.

“Sen. Sanders’ family was killed in the Holocaust,” she wrote in response to Moskowitz. “He dedicates his every moment to realizing tikkun olam. His commitment to protecting innocents in Gaza stems FROM his Jewish values. He and many other Jewish leaders deserve better than to be treated this way. This is shameful.”

“Tikkun olam” is Hebrew for “repairing the world.”

Responding to Ocasio-Cortez, Moskowitz said his family was also killed in the Holocaust and that it would be better if they settled their differences in person.

“My family was also killed in the Holocaust,” he said in response to her condemnation. “In Germany and in Poland. My grandmother was in the kinder-transport. They also instilled values in me. It’s why I voted for aid to Israel and for aid to Gaza. We see each other at work, we are both better than doing this here.”

“Is that what this is?” Ocasio-Cortez responded alongside a screenshot of Moskowitz having liked comedian Michael Rapaport’s post reading, “What’s the Hebrew translation for F*** Off Lady?” He appears to have since unliked the post.

Moskowitz’s comment that triggered the exchange was him quoting a statement from Sanders condemning the failure to adopt Sanders’s amendment preventing the issuance of “offensive” military aid to Israel.
Censured Rashida Tlaib transforms into fundraising force amid Israel-Hamas war
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) raked in $1.9 million in her first fundraising quarter of 2024, raising a total of $6.45 million this cycle following her criticism of Israel’s handling of the war against Hamas and her censure by the House last year.

Tlaib, the only Palestinian American serving in Congress, is the 12th highest fundraiser in the House, coming in right behind notoriously strong fundraiser and fellow Squad member, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and ahead of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Until the Israel-Hamas war, Tlaib was not known for her fundraising prowess, unlike those in House leadership positions.

The congresswoman ended the first quarter with $5.2 million on hand and successfully managed to stave off any serious primary challenge for her Democratic 12th Congressional District. According to campaign finance records, the majority of her individual contributions this cycle are coming from donations in California, followed by Michigan and Texas. The highest contributions are coming in from a political action committee formed by Ocasio-Cortez to promote progressive candidates, Demand Justice PAC, an influential group focused on court reform, a variety of unions, and Arab American groups.

Her campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission show she had her strongest fundraising quarter at the end of 2023 when she raised $3.7 million in the months after Hamas’s deadly attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Tlaib’s campaign cash flow has also skyrocketed since the House censured her last November over her pro-Palestinian comments concerning the conflict in Israel and for her defense of the phrase “From the river to the sea” that many see as an antisemitic call for Israel’s destruction.

The Michigan congresswoman unsuccessfully launched an eleventh-hour attempt last week to add an amendment to a foreign aid bill that would restrict all military aid to Israel from the legislation until there is a “lasting ceasefire,” a release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and Israeli hostages in Gaza, and a “credible diplomatic process.”
Jamaal Bowman Says AIPAC Only Calls Him Anti-Semitic Because It Can't Use 'the N-Word'
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.) told constituents Monday that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) only labels him anti-Semitic because the committee isn't allowed to call him "the N-word."

Bowman on Monday attended a virtual town hall alongside Reps. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) and Pramila Jayapal (D., Wash.) and with Our Revolution, a progressive organizing group launched by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.). Bowman criticized AIPAC for backing his primary challenger, Westchester County executive George Latimer, and asserted that the pro-Israel group is only labeling him anti-Semitic because it can't "get away with" calling him a racial slur.

"That is why AIPAC's coming after us, coming after us with hate, coming after us with bullying, and intimidation, and fear. You should see what they're doing in my district," Bowman said. "Lie after lie after lie about my record. Lie after lie calling me anti-Semitic, calling me anti-Biden, saying I'm not a real Democrat, using all kinds of dog whistles."

Bowman concluded, "They don't like my style, I'm a little too radical, I'm a member of the 'Squad.' They want to call me the N-word, but they know they can't get away with that, so they say everything else."

The congressman also said that the United States functions under "plantation capitalism" and a "caste system" that keeps minorities like him from serving in Congress.

"We have the military industrial complex and warmongerers [sic] aligning themselves with special interests [and] racist, MAGA, election-denying Republicans to get the first black man out of this seat," Bowman said.


Tower Hamlets removes pro-Palestinian Murals
Tower Hamlets has removed the pro-Palestinian murals that had been painted in various locations around the borough, following a letter from UK Lawyers for Israel pointing out that they are illegal.

- A mural of Hind Osama Al-Khoudary, a journalist, that had already been badly defaced, was removed from Buxton Street
- Another of Doaah Albaz, a journalist, has been removed from the Mile End skate park
- Two murals in Watney Street have been removed
- Two murals painted on shop shutters in Hanbury Street have been shared with the Anti-Social Behaviour Team

UKLFI pointed out to Tower Hamlets that the murals breached the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements ) (England) Regulations 2007 (“the Regulations”) which prohibit the display of advertisements without consent of the planning authority, unless they fall within certain exceptions in the Regulations. However, the murals advertised the Palestinian cause and did not fall within any of the exceptions.

Whoever paints the murals commits a criminal offence contrary to section 224(3) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The owner of the property is also committing a criminal offence under section 224(4)-(6) of that Act unless it was painted without the owner’s knowledge and the owner has taken all reasonable steps to remove it.

UKLFI also explained that Councils are legally required to have due regard to the need to foster good relations between different religious and ethnic communities. The murals do not foster good relations between different communities and have proved divisive in the locations where they have been painted. Many have already been defaced.


Islamophobia czar Amira Elghawaby is unfit for office
Elghawaby and her ilk seem genuinely confused by all the fuss about the hateful words being publicly uttered by Israel’s detractors here in North America, what with all the “maiming” and “orphaning” going on halfway across the world.

Understanding this mindset is critical to understanding why the anti-Israel crowd is increasingly taking to saying the quiet part out loud. Their words, no matter how heinous, are, in their unshakable view, far outweighed by Israel’s deeds. What’s the harm, then, in coming out and saying exactly what they mean?

There is, unfortunately, little that can be done to reverse this toxic mentality, particularly with popular social media apps like TikTok feeding youngsters and other impressionable users nonstop anti-Israel content for the past six months. One thing that the proponents of sanity can do, however, is remove people who show obvious signs of this toxic affliction from positions of influence.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for example, can take an important step toward restoring Canada’s sanity by relieving the self-evidently unfit Amira Elghawaby from her post as Islamophobia czar.

It may already be too late to rid Columbia and other elite universities of this antisemitic mind virus. Such institutions were, after all, incubators of this sentiment well before Oct. 7.

Myopic university administrators have, accordingly, passed up chance after chance to exercise leadership in combating antisemitism on campus over the past six months. It’s likely now on major donors to cast their verdicts on the hostile atmospheres that are taking root at these institutions.

One thing that’s certain is that we cannot, as a society, allow these open exhibitions of hatred to become the new normal.
Australian Police Arrest Seven Alleged Teen Extremists Linked to Bishop Stabbing
Australian police arrested seven teenagers accused of following a violent extremist ideology in raids across Sydney on Wednesday to protect the community from a potential attack, officials said.

The seven, aged 15 to 17, were part of a network that included a 16-year-old boy accused of the stabbing of a bishop in a Sydney church on April 15, police said.

Five other teenagers were still being questioned late Wednesday by the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which includes federal and state police as well as the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the nation´s main domestic spy agency, and the New South Wales Crime Commission, which specializes in extremists and organized crime.

More than 400 police officers executed 13 search warrants at properties across southwest Sydney because the suspects were considered an immediate threat, New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said.

“We will allege that these individuals adhered to a religiously motivated, violent extremist ideology,” Hudson told reporters.

“It was considered that the group … posed an unacceptable risk and threat to the people of New South Wales, and our current purely investigative strategies could not adequately ensure public safety,” Hudson added.

Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett said investigators found no evidence of specific targets or timing of an intended “violent act.”

She said the police operation was not linked to Anzac Day on Thursday, a public holiday when Australians remember their war dead.

It has been a potential target of extremists in the past.
Influential former IS supporter Wassim Fayad drawn into probe of alleged Sydney teen terror network
An influential former Islamic State supporter who was released from a supervision order last year was questioned in Wednesday's police raids on an alleged terrorism network involving a group of Sydney boys.

Excerpts from a police warrant seen by ABC Investigations show self-styled preacher Wassim Fayad, 56, was among two men and 12 boys targeted in the raids across south-west Sydney, as part of an investigation triggered by the stabbing of a bishop last week.

Five boys, aged 14 to 17, faced a children's court on Thursday charged with a range of offences, including conspiring to prepare or plan for a terrorist act.

Fayad spent seven years in jail until 2020 after being convicted of a failed ATM ram raid, the whipping of a Muslim convert and being an accessory to an attempted shooting murder at a gay sex club.

While in jail, police alleged Fayad was a member of an Islamic State terrorism cell that was plotting attacks in Sydney.

Once released, the Supreme Court placed him on a two-year extended supervision order in 2021, finding he was a high risk of recruiting younger or vulnerable people to commit a terrorism offence.

But a judge last year refused to extend that order, ruling the state of NSW had not proved he posed "an unacceptable risk of committing a serious terrorism offence if not kept under supervision".


MEMRI: Dari-Language Report In Afghan Media Accuses Human Rights Experts Of Complicity With Israel: 'The Islamic Ummah Is Angry About The Ongoing Oppression In Gaza, And Any Movement Aimed At Supporting The Oppressed Is Liked By The Islamic World'

MEMRI: Senior Saudi Journalist Tariq Al-Homayed: The Iran-Backed Militias Are A Threat To Every Arab Country; We Must Formulate An Arab-American-European Plan To Deal With This

Argentina asks Interpol to arrest Iranian minister over AMIA attack
Argentina has asked Interpol to arrest Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi due to his alleged role in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people and wounded more than 300 others.

Argentina previously accused Vahidi, a former senior official in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, of being one of the masterminds of the terrorist attack, and sought his extradition.

Earlier this month, the Court of Cassation in Buenos Aires issued a ruling blaming Iran for bombing the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina on July 18, 1994, using its terrorist proxy Hezbollah.

In February, Argentine President Javier Milei arrived in Israel for a wartime visit, reiterating his pledge to move his nation’s embassy to Jerusalem and opening a new chapter in bilateral relations.

The three-day solidarity trip, one of his first tours abroad since taking office two months ago, signaled a major shift in Argentina’s foreign policy towards the United States and Israel after decades of backing Arab countries.

Milei has said that he would work to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, noting that Argentines were among the 1,200 people taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7.

In March, the Jewish state and people worldwide marked the 32nd anniversary of the Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires.


Peru detains Iranian, two others over plot to kill Israelis
A Peruvian judge on Tuesday ordered 18 months of preventative detention for an Iranian and two Peruvians over an alleged plot to kill two Israelis in the South American country, according to the Associated Press.

Peruvian police and prosecutors said that the Iranian, Majid Azizi, could be a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, which conducts Tehran's overseas terror operations.

On March 15, the Israeli embassy in Lima thanked local authorities for arresting Azizi and "having dismantled an Iranian attack that was directed against an Israeli citizen.”

According to prosecutors, Azizi contacted Peruvians Walter Loja and Ángelo Trucios last month to plan the killing of Israeli Shachar Malka.

Malka's social media identify him as a tour guide and healer using traditional plants in Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas. The other Israeli target reportedly was Gilad Duchovny, who opened a cafe in Cusco in 2006.

Police found information about Malka and Duchovny in Azizi’s Lima house. According to the judge, the plot “has been established with a high degree of plausibility.”

“We had to act quickly, because today [Azizi] was set to return to Iran after forming a terrorist cell to wipe out an Israeli national,” Gen. Oscar Arriola, chief of Peruvian police, said in a press conference last month. He added that Azizi has been living in Peru since 1997 and holds Peruvian nationality by marriage.

Iran and its proxy Hezbollah have been operating in South America for decades. Hezbollah bombed the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992, killing 22 people and wounding 242. Two years later, the Iran-backed terrorist group was responsible for the bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) Jewish cultural center, which left 85 people dead and close to 300 wounded.
In unprecedented move, EU votes in favour of resolution against Iran
In an unprecedented vote, the European Parliament passed a resolution against the Islamic Republic of Iran on Thursday.

The resolution condemned Iran for its attack on Israel and reinforced the European commitment to the security of the State of Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised the European Parliament for its vote in favor of a resolution. It follows last Monday's decision by the European Union to sanction Iran in order to curtail missile and drone production.

"Another Israeli political success and another blow to Iran," Katz said. "We are tightening the chokehold around the neck of the Iranian octopus. The world understands that Iran needs to be stopped now before it is too late."

The resolution passed by a large majority of 357 for and 20 against.

The main points of the declaratory decision
The EU calls to put in place the following measures: To include the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) in the list of terrorist organizations; to expand sanctions on Iran, including on the regime's oil and banking; to acknowledge Iran's non-compliance with the nuclear agreement and give them an ultimatum to comply with the agreement of Resolution 2231 of the Security Council; to recognize Iran's role in destabilizing the Middle East, including support for Hamas; and to call for the implementation of Resolution 1701 in Lebanon (cessation of hostilities by Hezbollah and their retreat above the Litani River).

This decision clearly demonstrates the European position towards Iran and, by proxy, shows its support for Israel.


Amid Criticism Over Iran Ties, Crisis Group Hires Lobby Firm
The International Crisis Group has retained Mercury Public Affairs to lobby on its behalf, according to filings alerting the US Justice Department.

The registration, filed on March 7, 2024, marks the first time the think-tank has reported lobbying activities in Washington since the first quarter of 2015.

The move follows just months after an extensive investigation by Iran International revealed that the Crisis Group signed an undisclosed deal with the Iranian government in 2016.

Another Iran International expose, published in September 2023, Based on thousands of emails from Iranian diplomats, showed that three current and former Crisis Group members were part of the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), established by the Iranian foreign ministry in 2014 to extend Tehran's soft power.

This network was active while the Crisis Group was attempting to shape US policy on Iran during and after the negotiations for the 2015 nuclear deal that the Obama administration negotiated with Tehran.

The Crisis Group did not answer specific questions on whether the move to hire Mercury was made in direct response to Iran International’s reporting.

“To help achieve our mandate, we have partnered with Mercury to assist Members of Congress from all political parties who want to meet with our analysts who work in conflict zones across the globe,” the Crisis Group’s Elissa Jobson told Iran International in an email statement.


Maine man gets prison sentence for tweeting threat to kill Jews
U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced a man from the state of Maine who circulated an online plan to shoot Jews on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

Brian Dennison, 27, received 12 months and one day in prison on April 18, followed by three years of supervised release following a guilty verdict in December. Dennison had written on Twitter: “I’m going to kill jews with my ar15 tomorrow” in September 2021.

Law enforcement found 1,700 rounds of an AR-15 rifle and proof of his hatred of Jews after an initial search of Dennison’s residence, and later, the AR-15 and more ammo hidden in the woods behind his home.

“Such repugnant threats have no place in any society. I commend the FBI for its excellent investigative work in this case,” said Darcie McElwee, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine. “Under the First Amendment, you have a right to believe hateful things, and to express those hateful beliefs in lawful ways. But when your speech constitutes a true threat to kill or injure others, you will be held accountable.”

Jodi Cohen, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, praised the Maine Joint Terrorism Task Force for “its rapid response to Brian Dennison’s threat to commit mass murder with an assault rifle, born out of his long-standing hatred for Jewish people.”
Houston man sentenced to 27 months for antisemitic death threats
A 41-year-old Houston man was sentenced to 27 months in prison for threatening to kill Jews.

“Jeremy Joseph sent hateful, violent and antisemitic death threats over email to two former co-workers. Joseph made these threats as part of a broader scheme in which Joseph threatened dozens of victims, many of whom were Jewish or were perceived to be Jewish,” stated Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

“This prosecution and today’s sentence make clear that this office will not tolerate crimes of hate and will continue to seek justice for the victims of these offensive and harmful acts,” Williams stated.

Joseph, who will have three years of supervised release after his prison term, emailed “terrifying death threats” to two former colleagues, with whom he worked over a decade prior, from about December 2022 to January 2023, per the U.S. Justice Department.

“The emails detailed how Joseph planned to murder his victims and included photographs of pipe bombs, ammunition and a firearm,” it stated. “The emails also included personal information about the victims and their families.”

Joseph also sent threats to other people he knew, as well as “politicians, judges and prosecutors,” per the Justice Department. “The targets of his threats spanned multiple countries and U.S. states. In these communications, Joseph consistently used violent, threatening language that targeted Jewish people.”
France: Man Suspected of Abducting, Raping Jewish Woman ‘to Avenge Palestine’
A man in a suburb of Paris is suspected of abducting and raping a Jewish woman, French media reported on Tuesday. The suspect reportedly said his acts represented a “vengeance for Palestine.”

The suspect is a resident of Gennevilliers, one of the immigrant-heavy suburbs of Paris. It is understood he was charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, rape and making death threats.

French media reported the suspect sent the victim’s mother messages saying he was going to “prostitute” her daughter. The police reportedly were able to geo-locate the victim’s phone and end her ordeal after several days.


Is antisemitism in France worse than in America?
A Jewish French woman was allegedly kidnapped and raped, with her attacker saying he was doing it to "avenge Palestine". Meanwhile, the head of the far-left LFI party has been summoned by police over her pro-Hamas comments.

Our guests weigh in on the toxic climate towards Jews in France, and how it compares to the situation in the United States.


US chip giant Nvidia snaps up Israeli AI workload management startup
US gaming and computer graphics giant Nvidia announced on Wednesday that it is buying Run:ai, an Israeli startup that has built software to help developers and businesses manage complex AI workloads and computing resources on a single platform.

The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but the value is said to be between $600 million to $700 million, according to reports in the Hebrew press. The deal is estimated to be Nvidia’s biggest acquisition in Israel since the US chipmaker bought Mellanox Technologies Ltd. in 2020 for $6.9 billion.

Run:ai’s employees are set to join Nvidia’s growing operations in Israel, where the chipmaker employs about 4,000 workers in seven R&D centers, including Yokne’am, Mellanox’s headquarters, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ra’anana, and Beersheba in the south.

The Tel Aviv-based startup was founded in 2018 by Omri Geller, CEO, and Ronen Dar, CTO, who met as postgraduate students at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at Tel Aviv University, taught by Professor Meir Feder, who together sought to build a foundational layer for running any AI workload.
10 must-see ancient treasures at the Israel Museum
Nestled in the heart of Jerusalem, the Israel Museum stands as a beacon of cultural heritage, housing some of the most significant ancient treasures that shed light on millennia of human history.

Among its vast collection are artifacts that stand out for their historical, archeological and cultural significance. Preserving and showcasing these ancient treasures not only enriches our understanding of the past but also serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of human civilization.

If you’re planning a trip to the museum, make sure you check out these 10 items recommended by the staff.

1. Second Temple-era stone container
Dating back to the days of the Second Temple, approximately 516 BCE – 70 CE, a rare multi-compartment stone container has recently been unveiled to the public. Discovered during excavations in the City of David within Jerusalem Walls National Park, this unique box provides a glimpse into ancient storage practices and possibly endured events like the Great Jewish Revolt against the Romans that began in 66 CE. The box was burned, likely in the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70.

2. The Dead Sea Scrolls
Perhaps the most renowned of all discoveries on display, the Dead Sea Scrolls offer invaluable insights into ancient Jewish life and thought. Dating from the third century BCE to the first century CE, these manuscripts, found in caves near Khirbet Qumran, are a treasure trove for scholars studying Judaism, Christianity and the Hellenistic-Roman era. They’re housed in their own building on the museum’s grounds.

3. History’s earliest ancient figurine
A 233,000-year-old figurine of a woman, from Berekhat Ram in the Golan Heights, represents humanity’s earliest known artistic expression. Carved from volcanic material, this tiny artifact showcases the ingenuity and creativity of ancient artists.
Howard Jacobson delivers the inaugural Robert Fine Memorial Lecture





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Hezbollah says no to a ceasefire. All those "pro-peace" campus zombies go, yay, Hezbollah!

April 25, 2024, 5:46 pm
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From Naharnet:
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has revealed that he has “received major warnings from the Europeans and Arabs” regarding the Israel-Hezbollah clashes, a media report said on Thursday.

U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein has also told him in their latest phone call that “there is a need to cease fire in the south and not wait for the course of the war in the Gaza Strip,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported.

Hezbollah has meanwhile informed Mikati and other Lebanese officials that “the threats -- regardless whether they are serious or a repetition of the intimidation campaign -- will change nothing in the decision to maintain the military support for Gaza.”
Whatever happened to "Ceasefire Now"?

Ah, that's only for Jews. Everyone who is shooting at Jews can continue firing.

Princeton University:



New York City:



These are not peace protesters. They want war. They support Houthi missiles at ships. They support Hezbollah anti-tank weapons at civilians. They support Hamas attacks at a concert. 

They say this explicitly. Believe them.

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.@Euronews Arabic adopts antisemitic Arab language of "extremist settlers desecrating Al Aqsa" (@euronewsar)

April 26, 2024, 2:45 am
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One would think that Euronews would report things like a Western news agency. But apparently, in Arabic, it adopts the antisemitic Arab viewpoint.

On Thursday, Israeli police closed roads surrounding the Old City of Jerusalem to ensure settlers' access to the Buraq Wall.

The historic Mughrabi Gate was closed yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, in the face of extremist settlers’ incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, at the scene of hundreds of settlers desecrating Al-Aqsa, where collective prayers, epic prostrations, and plant offerings are held.

The scene of the settlers who participated in the storming, in the morning and evening periods on the second day of the Jewish Passover, reflected a significant doubling of the numbers of the stormers compared to the storms during the past six months.

About 874 settlers participated in the storming, while the number of tourist raids reached 85 foreigners who entered Al-Aqsa Mosque as part of Israeli "tourism."

Yesterday, Tuesday, during the morning and evening periods, on the first day of the Jewish Passover, 292 settlers carried out a raid, in addition to 173 under the name of “tourism.” The raids were led by former Knesset member Yehuda Glick, and the raids witnessed the performance of provocative songs and demonstrations of “epic prostration” under the protection of... Israeli forces.
It turns out that Brussels-based Euronews is part owned by TV networks of many countries, not only from European nations but also Egyptian, Tunisian, Algerian and Moroccan. Apparently Euronews outsources the Arabic stories and doesn't bother checking them for antisemitic terms like Jews "desecrating" their holiest spot. 

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Once again, reporters know Hamas lies, but won't report it that way

April 26, 2024, 5:00 am
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The New York Times looks at the accusation that Israel buried Gazans in "mass graves" outside Nasser Hospital that we debunked on Monday.

“This is the biggest mass grave since the beginning of the war,” Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defense, a search and rescue department within the Hamas-controlled territory, said Thursday before calling for an international investigation.

A New York Times analysis of social media videos and satellite imagery found that Palestinians had dug at least two of the three burial sites weeks before Israeli troops raided the complex.

Gazan authorities say that mass graves had been dug on the hospital grounds before an Israeli raid there in February but accuse Israel of later opening the site to add bodies.

While The Times could not determine the cause of death for individual people, the initial burials took place in January and February amid a weekslong Israeli offensive in the city.

Israel on Thursday denied accusations that it was responsible for digging the graves at the complex, but previously said it had opened them in the search for the bodies of hostages abducted to Gaza.

Videos shared on social media and verified by The New York Times show that two sites with multiple mass graves were dug at Nasser and bodies were buried starting in January.

Satellite imagery shows that the large mass grave first dug by Gazans underneath the palm trees in the southern part of the complex was disturbed by Israeli forces, including with a bulldozer, lending credence to the Israeli claim that they exhumed and reburied bodies.

There is no clear sign that Israeli troops dug new graves or added bodies to existing ones.
As has been the case so many times, the NYT has clear proof that Hamas routinely lies to the media. It cannot find a shred of evidence that the IDF is not telling the truth. But even throughout this article, it carefully parrots Hamas claims and does everything it can to cast doubt on the Israeli position unless it can find its own definitive proof that Israelis are telling the truth. 

By now, any Hamas claims should be assumed to be lies. (That was the case six months ago as well.) 

News media reported about the same graves in January and February, dug by Gazans. Hamas now makes up a ludicrous claim about them. And even as the media notes the two facts, it still takes Hamas lies seriously and gives them credibility.

There is a real story here: Hamas routinely lies. When have you seen a mainstream media outlet report that?

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Jews in universities, Germany 1930s and the US 2020s

April 26, 2024, 7:25 am
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Is it 1938 again?

Maybe it is more like 1933.

From AP, April 19, 1933:


The percentage of Jews admitted to elite universities in the US has dropped by half since the beginning of the 21st century. It isn't quite down to their relative population in the US, but DEI policies aim to do exactly that - to have colleges reflect the demographics of the US population. 

And this is what the Nazis wanted in their own universities.

The anti-Israel protesters are demanding that universities divest from any "Zionist" donors as well as from investing in Israeli companies, again startlingly similar to what the Nazis intended to stop "excessive foreign control" of their academia.

Here's a story from The Guardian,  November 30, 1938 about Warsaw University - before Germany invaded Poland:


Compare with how the "encampments" treat "Zionists" who dare to try to enter a public area:


The irony of Columbia students telling Jews to "go back to Poland" could not be starker.

Who will benefit from the exclusion of Jews from elite Ivy League universities? The ones that welcome Jews. (The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, May 19, 1933:)



Which sounds a lot like what Brandeis University announced this week:

Brandeis University, the historically Jewish school outside Boston, has extended its transfer application deadline in a bid to appeal to students who are unhappy with their own schools’ responses to campus anti-Israel protests.

“As a university founded in 1948 by the American Jewish community to counter antisemitism and quotas on Jewish enrollment in higher education, Brandeis has been committed to protecting the safety of all its students, and, in the current atmosphere, we are proud of the supports we have in place to allow Jewish students to thrive,” Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz wrote in an email to the community.


Israeli universities said much the same. 

The United States is of course not Nazi Germany. But there is enough rhyming going on here to frighten anyone who cares about the future of America. 


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Princeton professor forces his students to attend class in anti-Israel camp

April 26, 2024, 12:00 pm
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From The Daily Princetonian, yesterday:

Earlier today, Professor of History Gyan Prakash held his seminar on the courtyard, inviting others to join. His course HIS411: World After Empire is typically held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

“The readings were very connected to what’s going on over here. So, they [students] read Angela Davis, who speaks about how political activism is also a site of thinking about connections between different struggles and thinking about it internationally.” Prakash said. “This spot was also a good teaching moment for students.”
How utterly degusting it is for a professor to force his students to effectively take his political position in order to attend his class in a space where 95% of Jews would be unwelcome as Zionists.

The course description is exactly what you would think:
This seminar will examine this global history of anticolonial, anti-racial, and postcolonial thought during the twentieth century. We will read the works by key 20th century anticolonial thinkers and activists - Mahatma Gandhi, WEB Du Bois, Aimé Césaire, Amilcar Cabral, Albert Memmi, Frantz Fanon, Angela Davis, Edward Said, and others. Will read these historical texts critically and ask: How do they understand colonialism and its relationship between colonial domination and race, culture, and economy? How do they understand colonialism as a global system? How do they think of liberation and world transformation?
Prakash hates America as much as he hates Israel:


He's a bit reality challenged as well.


If we are learning anything over the past couple of weeks, it is that Ivy League schools are a huge waste of money and time. If anything, there is an inverse relationship between the quality of education and the prestige of these schools. 


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04/26 Links Pt1: How anti-Semitism became a virtue on American campuses; Meet the new Left, who think Hamas are good and that Swastikas are woke

April 26, 2024, 12:17 pm
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From Ian:

Josh Hammer: Restore Order and Crush the Campus Jihadist Thugs
n his 1790 letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, President George Washington reached a stirring conclusion: "May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid."

Washington is rolling in his grave right now at Mount Vernon.

Jews are so "afraid" at Columbia University that an Orthodox campus rabbi recently urged students to "return home as soon as possible." The situation at many purportedly "elite" universities is dire, as jihadist mania supplants Black Lives Matter as the vogue, faux-moral cause rotting the minds of impressionable Gen-Zers.

Hamas' useful campus idiots are, at best, blithering morons. They do not realize that Zionism—the Jewish people's national liberation movement in their ancestral homeland—is the quintessence of the very "anticolonialism" and "indigenous people's rights" they claim to champion. They are clueless about international law and how the doctrine of uti possidetis juris establishes that Israel has the best legal claim to Judea and Samaria (i.e., the "West Bank"). They know nothing about warfighting; John Spencer, head of urban warfare studies at West Point, has demonstrated that Israel's combatant-to-civilian death ratio in Gaza since the war began is "historically low for modern urban warfare."

Why let inconvenient facts get in the way of the thrill one feels for supporting a chic social justice movement ... er, genocidal terrorist organization?

The activism now upending Columbia, Yale, Harvard, and other morally bankrupt institutions is done in explicit support of a U.S. State Department-recognized foreign terrorist organization. Keffiyeh-wearing mini-jihadis at Columbia recently chanted "We are Hamas!" and "Long live Hamas!" Other agitators at Columbia called for Tel Aviv—a liberal secular city that will remain in Israeli hands under any possible future settlement with the Palestinian-Arabs—to be "burned to the ground." At the University of Michigan (where my speech in November was shouted down by a pro-Hamas mob), student Hamasniks distributed a pamphlet that says "Freedom for Palestine means Death to America."

Give them credit for the candor.
Meet the new Left, who think Hamas are good and that Swastikas are woke
It wasn’t long ago when the activist Left had a whole laundry list of systems and impersonal forces that it was battling against: sexism, homophobia, white supremacy, ableism – you name it. The Millenial Left may have nodded along to Bernie Sanders’ old labour-Left leanings. Still, they largely abandoned the class struggle of old for a struggle against boutique oppressions that were contingent but intersecting, hence the rise of so-called “intersectionality.”

That’s the once-trendy academic philosophy that relies on a view of power relations of society, where advantages and disadvantages are filtered primarily through identities: race, gender, and sexual orientation. But intersectionality is old hat. It’s not revolutionary enough anymore now that it’s been mainstreamed and gotten absorbed and institutionalised by the blob of liberal media and corporate institutions – including, believe it or not, the Scottish government.

So, in the wake of the shock of the massive Israel-Hamas war since October 7 and a lack of purpose after the political failures of Left-wing populism – the Western Left has found a way to get its groove back by simplifying yet expanding its moral framework.

Goodbye, intersectionality – hello, “It’s All One Thingism.”

In this nebulous new cosmology, Palestinians – even Hamas themselves – aren’t just engaged in a specific geopolitical fight over territory and resources. No, they’re the tip of the spear of a perceived collective liberation against the West, the Global North, “colonisers,” whatever you want to call the Bad Guys. It’s a magical world in which all politics and world affairs once seen through intersectionality’s colourful prism have been flattened into (somewhat ironically for self-proclaimed atheists) a more Biblical view of the world: black-and-white, good and evil.

“Palestine is every single issue in one issue,” wrote Scarlett Rabe, a singer-songwriter who describes herself as an anti-racist mother and an abolition feminist/womanist, in a viral tweet in February. “It’s reproductive justice. It’s social justice. It’s climate crisis… It’s not just one issue; it’s all the issues in one.”

All One Thingism explains why a group of a few hundred masked protestors who chanted “Death to America” and “Hands off Iran” this week also employed the relatively meaningless slogan “From Chicago to Palestine.” Or that another viral post on Instagram by a person wearing a “Fatties for a Free Palestine” T-shirt insisted that “Palestinian solidarity is not a niche issue. Fat liberation and Palestinian liberation go hand in hand.”
George Soros is paying student radicals who are fueling nationwide explosion of Israel-hating protests
George Soros and his hard-left acolytes are paying agitators who are fueling the explosion of radical anti-Israel protests at colleges across the country.

The protests, which began when students took over Columbia University’s Morningside Heights campus lawn last week, have mushroomed nationwide.

Copycat tent cities have been set up at colleges including Harvard, Yale, Berkeley in California, the Ohio State University and Emory in Georgia — all of them organized by branches of the Soros-funded Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) — and at some, students have clashed with police.

The SJP parent organization has been funded by a network of nonprofits ultimately funded by, among others, Soros, the billionaire left-wing investor.

At three colleges, the protests are being encouraged by paid radicals who are “fellows” of a Soros-funded group called the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR).

USCPR provides up to $7,800 for its community-based fellows and between $2,880 and $3,660 for its campus-based “fellows” in return for spending eight hours a week organizing “campaigns led by Palestinian organizations.”

They are trained to “rise up, to revolution.”

The radical group received at least $300,000 from Soros’ Open Society Foundations since 2017 and also took in $355,000 from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund since 2019.

It has three “fellows” who have been major figures in the nationwide protest movement.

Nidaa Lafi, a former president of the University of Texas Students for Justice in Palestine, was seen at an encampment at UT Dallas Wednesday making a speech demanding an end to the war in Gaza.

Lafi, a former legislative intern for the late Democratic Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, graduated from the school last year with a degree in global business and is now a law student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

In January, she was detained for blocking the route of President Biden’s motorcade after he arrived in Dallas for the funeral of Johnson, her former boss.

At Yale, USCPR’s fellow Craig Birckhead-Morton was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree trespassing when SJP’s branch, Yalies4Palestine, occupied the school’s Beinecke Plaza, the Yale Daily News reported.

Birckhead-Morton — also a former intern for a Democrat, Maryland rep John Sarbanes — emerged from custody to address a sit-in blocking traffic in New Haven.

The most high-profile of the fellows is Berkeley’s Malak Afaneh, co-president of the Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine.

She has been a serial speaker at an anti-Israel protest on the campus this week — which came after she first shot to prominence by hijacking a dinner at the law school dean’s home to shout anti-Israel slogans, then accused the dean’s wife of assaulting her when she asked the radical to leave.


How anti-Semitism became a virtue on American campuses
All too often, anti-Semitism seems to go unchallenged by university managers. Late last year, the then presidents of Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania quibbled over whether ‘calling for the genocide of Jews’ violated institutional codes of conduct during a congressional hearing on campus anti-Semitism. It is unimaginable that any other ethnic group could be discussed in such legalistic terms. The president of Penn quickly resigned and Harvard’s woefully under-qualified president, Claudine Gay, was ousted soon after, following accusations of plagiarism. This sorry episode showed the extent to which casual anti-Semitism has become normalised within elite institutions.

The institutional endorsement of Black Lives Matter – and the hiring of presidents, like Gay, seemingly for their diversity credentials – shows that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has become campus orthodoxy. Campus protests that have taken place since 7 October make clear, however, that these supposedly ‘anti-racist’ policies do not extend protection to Jews. It is tempting to cry hypocrisy, but this misses the point. It is not the case that the identity politics that fuels DEI initiatives simply has a blind spot for Jewish people. Far worse, in casting Jews as ‘hyper-white’ and therefore racially privileged, identity politics actually legitimises anti-Jewish bigotry.

Since the start of their education, today’s students have imbibed a crude understanding that people can be sorted into different groups according to skin colour, gender and sexuality, with each group afforded a distinct status as either privileged or oppressed. Critical race theory-inspired exercises designed to get children to ‘check their privilege’ sit alongside history lessons that encourage pupils to dwell only on the shame of erstwhile colonial powers. Rather than considering the gains of the civil-rights era, students are taught to see racial injustice as a never-ending continuum, running from slavery through to Jim Crow laws and ending up with the killing of George Floyd.

Students have been indoctrinated into a view that the world can be divided between oppressors and the oppressed. Those at America’s elite institutions have imbibed this message most successfully of all. These young adults have been taught to loathe their own country and made defensive of their privilege. In this context, aligning with Palestinians and demonstrating hostility to Israel makes perfect sense. It allows students to identify with an oppressed group and distance themselves from their own nation and culture. That such sentiment can so easily tip over into anti-Semitism is unsurprising. Students have been deluded into thinking that the more extreme their demands for the abolition of Israel, and the more vile their targeting of Jews, the better they show their own virtue. Horrendously, anti-Semitism comes to be seen as a morally virtuous position. Indeed, it is more likely to be appeased than challenged by staff.

Anti-Semitic campus protests must be loudly and widely condemned. University managers should not be calling in the cops on peaceful protests, but morally and intellectually challenging their students’ bigotry. They could start by ditching the identitarian DEI agenda that legitimises such vile prejudice.
Spiked Podcast: The Columbia protests and the scourge of elite anti-Semitism
Charlie Peters joins Tom Slater and Fraser Myers to discuss the ‘Gaza solidarity’ encampments springing up on US campuses, the collapse of Scotland’s coalition of crackpots and Joe Lycett’s cancel-culture denialism.


Amid growing campus protests, House to vote on codifying Trump’s antisemitism executive order
The House is scheduled to vote next week on the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act, the latest move by top House lawmakers to respond to growing anti-Israel protests on college campuses over the past week.

The bill would codify the Trump administration’s 2019 executive order instructing the Department of Education to treat antisemitism on college campuses as a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and to utilize the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism in assessing cases of antisemitism. The Biden administration has continued to enforce the Trump order.

“The horrific antisemitism we’ve seen at colleges and universities, and the abdication of these campuses to antisemitic radicals, has been painful to witness in real time,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), the bill’s lead House sponsor, said in a statement. “Which is why I’m thrilled to hear that the Antisemitism Awareness Act is coming up for a vote next week. This critical legislation will help put a stop to this once and for all and ensure campuses remain safe for Jewish students,”

A coalition of 31 Jewish groups sent a new letter to House lawmakers on Thursday urging prompt passage of the bill, calling it “more timely and important than ever” as campus incidents have “reached a fever pitch.”

“The current climate certainly reinforces the need for the Department of Education to have clear guidance when investigating instances in which anti-Israel activity may cross a line into antisemitic harassment that creates a hostile environment for Jewish students on campus in violation of federal civil rights laws,” the letter continues.

A variety of Jewish community organizations have been encouraging lawmakers to exclusively back the IHRA definition. But there’s also been growing opposition to the IHRA definition among progressives both on and off Capitol Hill. Some conservative lawmakers might also be inclined to oppose the bill due to concerns around free speech.

Last year, a resolution expressing support for the IHRA definition and describing anti-Zionism as antisemitism passed by a 311-14 vote, with 92 Democrats voting present and 13 voting against.
Torres, Lawler push for federal antisemitism monitors on college campuses
As encampments of anti-Israel protesters spring up on a growing number of campuses across the country bringing with them instances of antisemitism, Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) are threatening to condition federal funding for universities as part of a push for more stringent federal oversight and monitoring of campus antisemitism, Jewish Insider has learned.

The lawmakers plan to introduce the College Oversight and Legal Updates Mandating Bias Investigations and Accountability (COLUMBIA) Act, which would allow the Department of Education to impose a third-party monitor for antisemitic activity on any campus receiving federal funding. Schools that do not adequately cooperate with monitoring could potentially lose their federal funding.

Compliance with such monitoring would, under the proposed legislation, be a condition of receiving continued federal funds; the monitor would release quarterly public reports on the progress that schools have made in addressing antisemitism and providing recommendations to federal, state and local lawmakers and officials.

“As we have seen over the last half a year since October 7, campus antisemitism is at an all-time high, and American universities are not capable of handling it when left to their own devices,” Torres said in a statement, alleging that there are “blatant violation[s]” of Jewish students’ civil rights occurring at colleges across the country “and the federal government cannot allow this to continue unchecked.”

Columbia University, the site of the first encampment, “is not an isolated incident — it is the straw that has broken the camel’s back — and I am prepared to do something about it,” Torres said. “Jewish students have told my office that they feel completely abandoned by their university administrators and they view Congress as the only avenue for accountability and safety.”

The proposed monitors would be appointed by the secretary of education, while expenses for the monitors would be paid by the schools being monitored.
Hamza Howidy: Message From a Gazan to Campus Protesters: You're Hurting the Palestinian Cause
It's unconscionable. But it's not just the antisemitism that has me despairing. It's the hypocrisy. Where were these caring young people when Hamas took over Gaza and slaughtered hundreds of Gazans, or when Hamas held 2 million Gazans captive for more than 17 years? Why didn't they speak out about the fact that Hamas led Gazans into this conflict, which resulted in more than 30,000 dead and 80,000 injured, according to Gazan municipal authorities? Where were they when Hamas's failed missiles claimed the lives of hundreds of Gazans on October 17, or when Hamas murdered young people in order to steal aid and resell it to Gazans at massively inflated prices?

The only conclusion that can be drawn from these demonstrators' silence concerning Hamas' atrocities and their antisemitic chanting is that they are not concerned with protecting Palestinians. They are out in their tents because of a hatred of Jews and Israelis.

As a Gazan and as a Palestinian, I want the protesters and the organizers of these protests to know that their hateful speech harms us. The Jewish person or Israeli you are intimidating during your rally may be the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor or a family member of an Israeli slain or abducted by Hamas on October 7. These folks would be your partners if the protests were about achieving lasting peace and justice for Palestinians and Israelis.

I do not accept hateful speech or terrorist chants, and all of these foolish dreams about eradicating Israel are disgusting—and will never be achieved. Both of us—Palestinians and Israelis—are here to stay.

But the protesters aren't interested in peace. Some of the groups have been blocking Palestinian peace activists like me—and I am from Gaza, the very place they claim to care about! Instead of blocking peace activists, they should be inviting us to join these protests and guide them in the right direction—a place without hatred with a focus on calling for the release of the hostages who have been held captive by Hamas for more than 210 days.

If the protesters cared about Palestinians, they would have one central demand: Hamas must surrender, because we have all suffered from Hamas and can no longer live under the rule of a terrorist group. Only then can a ceasefire be achieved.
Ben Shapiro: Our Cowardly, Garbage Universities
Protestors take over Columbia University as the administration “negotiates”; the Biden administration has nothing to say about the continuing antisemitic chaos spreading across the country; and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson heads to Columbia to speak out against the radical protestors.




The Commentary Magazine Podcast: Is Hamas Brilliant?
Hosted by Abe Greenwald, Christine Rosen, John Podhoretz & Matthew Continetti
Noam Blum joins the podcast today to discuss the strategy Hamas is pursuing to stave off the Israeli action in Rafah—the use of a hostage video to freeze Israeli society in place and turn the conversation away from victory and toward rescue. What are the consequences?


The Israel Guys: What in the WORLD is Happening at Columbia University?
Universities across the US have turned into pro Hamas encampments, from which students are now negotiating! The US Speaker of the House's attempt to protect Jewish rights seems powerless against the mob.




In Israel, activists from Muslim countries denounce common threat of radical Islam
Before Errachid Montassir’s first visit to Israel in 2022, his family in Morocco tried to dissuade him from making the trip. “You’re going to get killed by the Israelis,” they told him.

Despite the ominous prediction, the 28-year-old ecotourism entrepreneur and climate activist survived his first stay unscathed. Last week, he came again, as part of a delegation from Arab and Muslim countries to promote tolerance in the Middle East through Holocaust education in the shadow of the October 7 massacre by Hamas of 1,200 in Israel’s south and the capture of another 253 individuals who were taken hostage to Gaza.

“The thing that struck me the most was realizing the propaganda and the fake news that the media spread in Muslim countries, that make us think that Israelis are the killers,” Montassir said. “We visited a kibbutz [assaulted by Hamas on October 7] and met with families who witnessed their kids dying in front of them. It shocked me deeply.”

The five-day trip was organized by Sharaka (the Arabic word for “Partnership”), a non-profit founded following the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, which promotes people-to-people contacts between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

The Sharaka delegation was comprised of 10 members from various countries in the region, with a strong preponderance of Moroccans (seven), but also a high-profile Pakistani journalist, an outspoken Iranian-Danish social activist and a prominent Canadian author with roots in Egypt and Gaza.

The intensive program included a visit to Yad Vashem, a meeting with a Holocaust survivor, lectures on antisemitism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a visit to the Gaza Envelope and the site of the October 7 Supernova festival massacre, but also a culinary tour of the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, a visit to Microsoft offices in Herzliya and more.

As part of the program, participants will also visit the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland at a later stage.

On Thursday, the final day of their trip, The Times of Israel spoke with some delegation members who explained what motivated them to visit Israel and what stereotypes were shattered during the experience. Some of the conversations were lightly edited for clarity.

Yasmine Mohammed: Ex-wife of al-Qaeda terrorist
The cohort included Yasmine Mohammed, a prominent advocate for Muslim women’s rights from Vancouver, Canada.

Mohammed was born in Canada to a Gazan father and an Egyptian mother. Her parents divorced shortly after her birth, and she was raised by her mother, a formerly secular woman who became a fundamentalist after her divorce. Mohammed was forced to wear a hijab from age 9.

At 19, her mother married her off to a high-ranking al-Qaeda member, Essam Marzouk, who had received refugee status in Canada. From the very beginning of their marriage, her husband started physically abusing her.

After the birth of her first daughter, Mohammed managed to escape her oppressive home, build a new life and tell her story to the world. She left Islam, and today she runs “Free Hearts, Free Minds,” an NGO offering free psychological support to closeted ex-Muslims.

Last week’s delegation was Mohammed’s first time in Israel. The social activist described the tour as “emotionally exhausting,” both for the Holocaust education component and for the visits to the sites of the October 7 massacre. Tears welled up in her eyes while she recounted the meetings with October 7 survivors.

As someone who has known firsthand and has been very vocal about the dangers of radical Islam, Mohammed hoped that the horrific events of October 7 could be a wakeup call, an invitation to stop “infantilizing” and “underestimating” Islamist terror groups, and pay close heed to their threats.

Mohammed said she had also tried to warn her liberal Israeli friends about the threat of Islamist terror before October 7. “It takes one to know one,” she sighed.

“Because Jewish people have such a deep love for humanity and for progress, they tend to think that all people are like that. And it makes me really sad to have to let them know and understand that that’s not the reality we live in,” Mohammed said. “But October 7 burst that bubble.”

In 2019, Mohammed published a foreshadowing book titled “Unveiled: How Western Liberals Empower Radical Islam.” She said she used to get questions about the meaning of the title, but today that is no longer the case.

“They don’t have to ask me that anymore because they can see how the West has empowered [Islamists] to the point that they’re in the streets yelling ‘Allahu Akbar’ [a cry of celebration] when they found out that Iran was sending UAVs,” she said, referencing the April 13 attack, in which Tehran launched a swarm of around 300 attack drones and missiles from its territory toward the Jewish state.

“I was feeling scared, angry, worried, frustrated, infuriated when nobody could see. Every time I would open my mouth, people would think I was an alarmist,” she said, decrying the fact that critics of radical Islam are often silenced with accusations of Islamophobia.

“I think now it has really been uncovered. Now people are starting to listen,” she added. “I don’t know how long that will last, because people spend not even a fraction of a second acknowledging how Jews have been victimized yet again, and then immediately they move on.”
Blinken says Gaza protests a hallmark of democracy, decries 'silence' on Hamas
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday protests at US universities over US-ally Israel's war in Gaza are a hallmark of American democracy, but criticized what he called the "silence" about Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Police have clashed with students critical of the war and the Biden administration's support for Israel's war in Gaza, with nearly 550 arrests made over the protests in the last week across major US universities, according to a Reuters tally.

Asked at a press conference in China whether he was taking on board the protesters' message, Blinken said he understood the conflict elicited "strong, passionate feelings" and that the administration was doing it all it could to halt the war.

"In our own country, it's a hallmark of our democracy that our citizens make known their views, their concerns, their anger, at any given time, and I think that reflects the strength of the country, the strength of democracy," Blinken said.
Columbia President Nemat Shafik Accused of Plagiarism
Columbia University President Nemat Shafik has been under fire for over a week since she’s allowed anti-Israel dumbs to set up camp on the lawn, taunt Jewish students, and make the rest of the term hybrid or virtual.

Like what seems every other Ivy League president…Shafik faces allegations of plagiarism.

Shafik got a B.A. in economics and politics from UMASS-Amherst, an M.S. in economics from the London School of Economics, and a PhD in economics from Oxford.


Kassy Akiva: ‘Zionists Don’t Deserve To Live’: Meet The Leader Of Columbia University’s Anti-Israel Encampment
One of the most vocal student activists leading the anti-Israel Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia University, Khymani James, openly stated in an live-stream of an official university inquiry in January that “Zionists don’t deserve to live.”

James, who states in the hearing that he goes by “he/she/they” pronouns, live-streamed his meeting with Columbia’s Center for Student Success and Intervention, where he doubled down on an Instagram post that sparked the report. In the report, which he reads aloud at the start of the meeting, James warned Zionists who may want to “meet up and fight” and that he “fights to kill.”

“Do you see why that’s problematic in any way?” a Columbia employee asked James during the hearing, to which he responded: “No.”

James, a junior and spokesperson of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group, has been the visible face of the protests that have garnered national attention. He appears to still be a student at the university, and has been one of the key organizers of the encampment. He was one of the students who held a press conference on Wednesday, where he claimed that the school conceded it would not call law enforcement on the encampment.

In the video James posted to social media of his January interaction with school officials, he defends his belief that all Zionists deserve to die.

“I feel very comfortable, very comfortable, calling for those people to die,” James says. “And with that being said, Khymani is signed out.”

In another post on his public social media profile, James stated that he “carry that tool” and that he is “moving like I’m in an open carry state.”

When asked about the seriousness of taking someone’s life, James said that sometimes it is necessary to murder people.

“I think that taking someone’s life in certain case scenarios is necessary and better for the overall world. I personally have never killed anyone,” he said. “Thank the Lord that no one has put me in that position.”

He compared the need to kill Zionists to killing Hitler or Haitian revolutionaries who had to “kill their masters in order to gain their independence.”

“These were masters who were white supremacists. What is a Zionist? A white supremacist. So let’s be very clear here, I’m not saying that I’m going to go out and start killing Zionists. What I am saying is that if an individual who identifies as a Zionist threatens my physical safety in person, i.e., puts their hands on me, I am going to defend myself and in that case scenario, it may come to a point where I don’t know when to stop.”

“I understand what you are saying,” the Columbia employee responds. “What resources do you think you have to make sure that you feel protected as a student here?”

“My hands and my brains are my resources,” James responded, before going on to call the meeting “institutional violence.”

James went on to say that “there should not be Zionists anywhere.”

“People who hold those types of ideologies, the world is better without them. That is what my comment is indicative of, and I will stand with that,” he said.

During a break in the meeting, James looked at his camera and called the meeting “a joke.”

“They definitely were hoping that I was going to walk back the ‘I fight to kill,’” he said, cackling. James said he does “fight to kill” and that is why no one has fought him since middle school.


Top NYPD cop schools AOC after she rants about Columbia campus chaos and ‘violent’ police units
A top NYPD official schooled Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and slammed Columbia University’s “entitled” demonstrators after the congresswoman railed against the school’s decision to call in cops amid ongoing campus chaos.

“Not only did Columbia make the horrific decision to mobilize NYPD on their own students, but the units called in have some of the most violent reputations on the force,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote late Wednesday in response to a video of NYPD Counterterrorism officers outside the Morningside Heights campus.

“NYPD had promised the city they wouldn’t deploy SRG to protests. So why are these counterterror units here?” she asked.

But NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell was having none of the left-wing Democrat’s critique, and wrote in a reply, “Columbia decided to hold its students accountable to the laws of the school.”

“[The protesters] are seeing the consequences of their actions,” he wrote on X early Thursday.

“Something these kids were most likely never taught. Good SAT scores and self-entitlement do not supersede the law,” Chell said of the student protesters, who have occupied a lawn on campus with a Gaza Solidarity Encampment for over a week.


Ilhan Omar and Daughter Show Face at Columbia Protest
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) and her daughter Isra Hirsi, a Barnard student who was arrested and suspended from Columbia University last week for her role in anti-Israel protests on campus, attended another anti-Israel demonstration at Columbia together on Thursday.

Omar posed for a photograph with her daughter and answered a reporter’s question near the protesters’ encampment in front of Columbia’s Low Memorial Library, according to an X post on Thursday.

The anti-Israel protests at Columbia, which began last Wednesday with hundreds of students establishing an encampment on a campus lawn to demand the university divest from Israel, reached a fever pitch when more than 100 student protesters, including the Minnesota congresswoman’s daughter, were arrested by New York City police and suspended from Columbia.

The crackdown, however, did little to quell the protests. Columbia has since canceled in-person classes for the rest of the spring semester, leading House speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) and other Republican representatives to call for the resignation of Columbia president Minouche Shafik.

Omar on Monday said the arrested and suspended protesters "were peacefully protesting and have now ignited a nationwide Gaza Solidarity movement. ... This is more than the students hoped for and I am glad to see this type of solidarity."

"But to be clear, this [is] about the genocide in Gaza and the attention has to remain on that," Omar added.


Aussie veteran condemns 'DISGUSTING' anti-Israel protesters
Australian veterans have expressed outrage following attempts by anti-Israel protesters to disrupt and desecrate ANZAC Day commemorations across the country.

Dave Menz, President of the Aussie Veterans Association spoke out against the shocking disrespect shown towards the solemnity of the day by anti-Israel activists who tried to disrupt and desecrate commemorations around the country.

Reflecting on the significance of ANZAC Day, Dave stressed its importance as a day of remembrance and unity for veterans, and a day that should not never be overshadowed by activists seeking to re-write history.

"It's the Veterans Day where we march and we honor our fallen, where we get together with friends and we meet friends we haven't seen for ages. They got 365 days a year. Why would you do it on Anzac Day?" he remarked.

"This is not good for their cause or for them. Totally disrespectful, totally the wrong day."

Dave further commented on the appalling scenes witnessed this year, including one protester dragging the Australian flag along the ground wrapped in a Palestinian flag.

"As a soldier, you're taught the flag is your flag. When you put the flag up the pole, when it comes down the pole. You never let the flag touch the ground. It's a piece of cloth to some people ... To us, it's the chosen flag. It's our flag. And it should not be desecrated in any way whatsoever," he asserted.

Expressing frustration with the lack of government intervention, Dave called for stricter laws against flag desecration.

"Why aren't the government getting in and saying you can have your protest, but this is beyond a joke? It should be a law that you can't burn the flag. There should be a law to say if you desecrate the flag in any way you're going to jail, forget the fine. Put them in jail. That's the easiest way," he urged.

Dave questioned the motives behind the protesters' actions, suggesting a "twisted" logic that views Australian veterans as enemies.


Exclusive: Notes From Princeton Activists Show Coordination Between Campus Radicals and Outside Groups Aimed at Outfoxing University Administrators
Organizers of the Columbia University encampment advised activists at Princeton on how to take over their own campus, giving them tips on disrupting university operations and stressing that there is "safety in numbers," according to documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

The tips were dispensed last week during a meeting between Aditi Rao, a Ph.D. student at Princeton who has defended calls for intifada, and members of Columbia's encampment. Rao relayed the advice to her fellow Princeton activists in a strategy session last Saturday, notes from which were obtained by the Free Beacon.

The Columbia organizers had spent weeks hashing out a plan to kneecap the university's core functions and put administrators in an impossible position. If activists at Princeton wanted to pull off a similar coup, there were some things they should know.

Pick a site "that is public and that [the] University needs," Columbia's organizers advised, noting that they had targeted the quad where commencement takes place. "Don't pick the site of historic occupations," such as libraries or the president's office, since the university will simply move its operations to a "different building."

Finding the right target could take time, the organizers said. At Columbia, they were "planning for over a month."

The meeting notes, which have not been previously reported, are part of a tranche of documents that detail how a highly organized group of activists—including dozens of faculty—planned to paralyze Princeton by copying the Columbia playbook. Key to their strategy was the anticipated fecklessness of administrators, who at Columbia have refused to enforce their own deadlines to clear the encampment and, in past protests, would reinstate students within days of suspending them.

"Columbia thinks they will get suspensions cleared," notes from the meeting read.


Israeli university presidents condemn violent, anti-Semitic campus protests in the US
The Israel Association of University Heads (VERA) issued on Friday a denunciation of violent demonstrations and antisemitism on American campuses.

We, the presidents of the research universities in Israel, express our deep concern over the recent surge of severe violence, antisemitism, and anti-Israel sentiment across numerous leading universities in the US. These disturbing events are often organized and supported by Palestinian groups, including those recognized as terrorist organizations.

This troubling development has led to a climate where Israeli and Jewish students and faculty members feel compelled to hide their identities or avoid campuses altogether for fear of physical harm.”

The professors acknowledged “the efforts of our counterparts at these institutions to address these issues. We understand the complexity and challenges involved in managing incited and hateful groups, recognizing that extreme situations may require measures beyond the conventional tools available to university administrations.”

They added that while freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate are vital to the health of any democracy and are especially crucial in academic settings and that they continued to uphold the importance of these freedoms, particularly in these challenging times, “these freedoms do not include the right to engage in violence, make threats against communities, or call for the destruction of the State of Israel.” Voicing support to the Jewish diaspora

They voiced their support to the Jewish and Israeli students and faculty facing these difficult circumstances. “We will do our best to assist those of them who wish to join Israeli universities and find a welcoming academic and personal home,” they concluded.

The statement was signed by Prof. Arie Zaban, president of Bar-Ilan University who is VERA’s chairman; Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Prof. Alon Chen, president of the Weizmann Institute of Science; Prof. Asher Cohen, president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Prof. Leo Corry, president of the Open University; Prof. Ehud Grossman, president of Ariel University Prof. Ariel Porat, president of Tel Aviv University; Prof. Ron Robin, president of the University of Haifa; and Prof. Uri Sivan, president of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.


State of Tel Aviv: Professor Shai Davidai: The Reluctant Activist Waking Up America - Part 1
On April 5th State of Tel Aviv spoke at length with Columbia University Professor Shai Davidai about his overnight evolution from low-key academic to high profile activist. The catalyst? The October 7th Hamas massacre in southern Israel which galvanized extreme Islamist sympathizers and hard left “progressives.” Literally overnight, Jews and Israel were vilified on campuses, in media, in massive street protests throughout North America and Europe. Davidai was horrified by what he saw happening on the Columbia University campus and began to speak out and speak up. In this episode we go back to October 7th and get into the university administration’s abdication of responsibility to its community and why and how Shai Davidai became the reluctant activist with a national profile. We also dive into the very dramatic events that have occurred on Columbia’s campus since October 7th, climaxing in anarchy this past week.


NYPD hunts for hateful suspects in attacks on victims holding Israeli flags, including one outside Columbia
The NYPD is on the hunt for several hateful suspects who targeted victims holding Israeli flags in Manhattan this month, including a disturbing attack outside Columbia University where a man was pelted in the face with a rock, cops and sources said.

The most recent attack took place near the Ivy League school’s Morningside Heights campus just before 10 p.m. Saturday, the same night three students were arrested and another taken away on a stretcher amid fiery anti-Israel protests.

A 22-year-old man was near Amsterdam Avenue and West 116th Street with an Israeli flag in hand when another man ran up to him and snatched it, police and sources said.

The victim tried to follow the stranger into a crowd, but was pelted in the face with a rock by another man, the NYPD said.

A third stranger “then grabbed the flag and set it on fire,” police said.

The brutal attack came exactly two weeks after a similar incident was reported in Midtown.

A 19-year-old woman was standing outside 39 West 34th Street around 5 p.m. April 12 when two strangers approached her and forcibly took her Israeli flag, police sources said.

The assailants — a woman and man both wearing headdresses — fled on foot eastbound on West 34 Street.

Both attacks are being investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force.

Police said there is no indication that either incident is related or that the five suspects were working in tandem.


Andy Ngo: Don’t buy the left’s gaslighting — ‘outside agitators’ aren’t behind campus antisemitism
Far-left and pro-Palestine extremists mobilized at Columbia University last week for an occupation that’s shut down campus.

Promoters of revolutionary “direct action” chanted explicitly in support of Hamas and urged the Palestinian Islamist terror group to “Burn Tel Aviv to the ground.”

Over the weekend, a group of pro-Israel counterprotesters were met by a keffiyeh-wearing woman who held up a sign and arrow declaring: “Al-Qasam’s next targets.”

Al-Qassam Brigades is the Hamas military wing that led the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.

Occupations have spread to dozens of higher-educational institutions across North America, becoming violent — and more organized.

In response to the bad PR, left-wing politicians are gaslighting us.

“Throughout history, protests were co-opted and made to look bad so police and public leaders would shut them down,” Rep. Ilhan Omar tweeted.

Her daughter, a communist activist, was arrested at Columbia last week.

New York City Councilman Chi Ossé wrote: “I unequivocally condemn the vile antisemitic incidents from OUTSIDE perpetrators we’ve seen in the area.”

Blaming outsiders was a left-wing tactic when the 2020 George Floyd riots burned down neighborhoods and killed people.

But those weren’t and aren’t outsiders.

These are people on their side, in their movement, with similar goals.

People set up a makeshift memorial for the Jewish hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023 at Columbia University as students maintain an ongoing pro-Palestinian encampment on their campus on April 23, 2024 in New York City.

From the immediate hours after Oct. 7, Nazi imagery, leftist justifications and Islamic extremism have been at protests’ forefront.


Columbia Lets 48-Hour Deadline Slide With No Action Against Student Protesters
Students prepared for another wave of arrests Tuesday night, pledging to "defend the encampment" and "rally" for their "comrades." But those arrests never came, with Shafik pushing back a midnight deadline to clear the encampment—first to 8 a.m., then to 48 hours.

Late Thursday night, Shafik issued the statement saying the negotiations between the university and the student protesters "have shown progress" and are ongoing. Columbia University did not respond to a request for comment.

The students are also targeting the school through Palestine Legal, a nonprofit that represents students who "stand for justice in Palestine." The group announced a civil rights complaint against the New York Police Department over the arrest of more than 100 students, who were also suspended by the university. The group is representing four Columbia students and the school's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.

"Today, Palestine Legal filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights," the group said in a Thursday statement, "demanding an investigation into Columbia University's discriminatory treatment of Palestinian students and their allies, including by inviting NYPD officers in riot gear … to arrest over a hundred students peacefully protesting Israel's genocide last week."

Protests held near the entrance to Columbia's campus have turned violent. Last week, Arab-Israeli journalist Yoseph Haddad was pushed, punched in the face, and told to kill himself during an encounter with people he called "pro-terrorist protesters'' positioned near the Columbia gates. Haddad was scheduled to speak on campus that night but was forced to cancel the event.

Within the campus gates, meanwhile, a group of Jewish students was targeted by student protesters over the weekend. The group went out on campus Saturday night with an Israeli flag, which was stolen. Pro-Hamas agitators later attempted to burn it. The group was assaulted, splashed with water, and followed by protesters, according to one of the students.

At a press conference led by student protesters Thursday afternoon, organizers said they "will remain in this encampment until we achieve all of our demands," which are for Columbia "to divest, disclose, and amnesty for all" students and faculty disciplined. The students have also scheduled another presser for 2:30 p.m. Friday.
Columbia Student Protesters Urge Reporters To Leave Campus, Schedule Presser for 12 Hours After Expiration of School's Negotiation Deadline
As the "Gaza Solidarity" tent encampment at Columbia University lives on for a ninth day, student organizers spoke to reporters Thursday afternoon, urging them to leave campus before nightfall. They also scheduled another presser for Friday afternoon—roughly 12 hours after the school's apparent deadline to vacate the encampment expires.

Sueda Polat, a Columbia graduate student who is negotiating with the school on behalf of student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest, said those negotiations "have resumed as of earlier this morning" and are "currently ongoing." She was followed by undergraduate student Khymani James, a protest leader and CUAD spokesman, who urged reporters to leave campus by 4 p.m. and scheduled another press conference for 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.

James's announcement suggests student protesters expect to remain in their encampment for another 24 hours—despite a fast-approaching deadline from university president Minouche Shafik to clear the area.

Late Tuesday night, Shafik issued a statement setting a "deadline of midnight tonight to reach agreement" or clear the encampment. After protesters pledged to resist, university officials released a 3 a.m. statement saying they would "continue conversations for the next 48 hours."

That means the deadline should have expired between midnight and 3 a.m. early Friday morning, roughly 12 hours prior to the student protesters' next press conference. Still, student protesters seemed unconcerned by the looming deadline, with student leader Mahmoud Khalil, an international student, saying the protesters "will remain in this encampment until we achieve all of our demands."
The Columbia protester diet: Anti-Israel students munch on Pret sandwiches, pricey nuts and sip Dunkin’
Bellies are full, but the tantrums continue.

The anti-Israel Columbia University students hunkering down on the Ivy League’s West Lawn received a hefty food delivery Wednesday — as they show no signs of abandoning their makeshift tent city.

Fruits, nuts, granola bars and overpriced sandwiches were being handed out like candy to the protesters, who were given a 48-hour extension to camp out on the grounds before the administration warned it would clear them out.

The evening meal marked one week of the group’s headlining-making demonstration as similar ones have spread like wildfire to other elite campuses across the country.

The anti-Israel protesters — more than 100 of whom were cuffed by the NYPD last week — had their choice of an array of nuts, including a $17 jar of Good and Gather’s Sea Salt Roasted Mixed Nuts.

Cheaper options like Blue Diamond almonds and Planters cashews were also laid out for the students, who are used to shelling out $86,097 in tuition each year.

Sandwiches at the UK-brand convenience bakery Pret-A-Manger were neatly lined up along the table. A simple veggie sandwich would cost only $8, but those with any meat between the bread slices cost anywhere between $10 and $14, or even $16 for a salmon option.

The famished freedom fighters were also treated to $15 Kind granola bars and $10 rotisserie chickens, as well as Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups, croissants, muffins and more.

Radical anti-Israel protesters at Yale University were spotted munching fresh sushi Monday while supposedly engaged in a weeklong hunger strike at the elite Ivy League campus.

To keep caffeinated for their around-the-clock antics, protesters opted for the relatively cheap choice of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. And for a sugar boost, a box of donuts was theirs for the taking.

They even munched on several bags of coconut macaroons from Strait’s — which bills the cookies as “Kosher for Passover and all year round.”

Who or what organization is behind the food delivery is a mystery, though Columbia’s administration restricted access to the campus to only “Columbia ID holders” and credentialed press members.

With their bellies full, the protesters showed no signs of abandoning their encampment, especially following embattled Columbia University president Minouche Shafik’s announcement that they could stay on the grounds for another 48 hours.

Shafik – who previously vowed to crack down on the protests and antisemitism on campus – initially set a midnight deadline on Wednesday for them to reach an agreement to clear out.


NYU Encampment Organizers Encourage Protesters To Join Pro-Hamas ‘Resistance Network’
Anti-Israel protest organizers at New York University encouraged their followers to get "plugged into" a Telegram channel that routinely promotes Hamas and other terrorist organizations.

A Telegram chat channel created by NYU protest organizers referred their followers to the "Resistance News Network," an account which advertised communications from Hamas’s commander in chief Mohammed Deif, who advertised the Oct. 7 massacres in Israel, and encouraged people to take up arms.

"Eyes on Gaza, eyes on Rafah, eyes on students everywhere. Make sure you’re plugged into Resistance News Network," the NYU Encampment Updates account wrote, linking to the channel. The organizers’ promotion of the radical channel was first observed by Jewish Insider and confirmed by the Washington Free Beacon.

The Resistance News Network has a pinned post at the top of their feed that features a video announcing the Al-Aqsa Flood which resulted in 1,200 Israelis dead and hundreds held hostage.

"BREAKING: The commander-in-chief of the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, announces the Al-Aqsa Flood battle in a historic speech: ‘They attacked the stationed worshippers and desecrated Al-Aqsa, and we have previously warned them,’" the account wrote.

The Telegram channel’s "posts include the explicit promotion of U.S. State Department-designated foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), often providing English translations of communiques and propaganda from groups such as Hamas and its Al Qassam Brigades, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Ansar Allah (the Houthis), Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades and Hezbollah," the Anti-Defamation League notes.

This comes as anti-Semitic tent encampments have sprung up on college campuses around the nation, beginning with Columbia University.


Horror as GWU protester carries sign with Nazi ‘final solution’ call for extermination of Jews
A despicable anti-Israeli protester has sparked horror after being photographed at George Washington University with a sign calling for the “final solution,” the Nazi plan to exterminate all Jews.

The unidentified man was seen mingling among students on the Washington, DC, campus carrying a huge Palestinian flag — and the sign with the expression Adolf Hitler used to sum up his plan for the “annihilation of the Jews.”

The image quickly sparked outrage from many shocked at a term used during the Holocaust.

“The parallels between this movement and actual Nazism is real and scary,” one X user wrote.

Another posted: “Just pure hatred.”

“Not a peaceful protest at all,” a third person wrote.

The image emerged as hundreds of anti-Israel protesters on Thursday occupied the campus at George Washington University, one of many schools swamped by such action.

The school said Friday that the remaining protesters “and any who attempt to join them are trespassing on private property and violating university regulations.”


University of Washington pro-Palestine group cancels planned encampment for being too white
Pro-Palestinian students at the University of Washington announced their plans to postpone what was supposed to be Thursday's Gaza solidarity encampment because too many white students were involved.

The group in the Pacific Northwest had been criticized for failing to include enough Muslim and Arab students in the planning of the encampment.

The disruptive demonstration was scheduled to go up Thursday morning at the Seattle university, where the administration told members of the Jewish community that they did not plan to intervene unless 'the event escalates and threatens life safety,' according to My Northwest.

Without a significant threat from those at the head of the institution, students opted to delay the protest in order to 'make sure this encampment is a better reflection of the UW community, and having even greater unity with Muslim, Palestinian and Arab students.'

'We want to be part of a much larger coalition of groups and make no mistake, WE WILL HAVE A UW ENCAMPMENT! We want to make sure everyone’s voice is included and this action is as safe, secure, and strong as possible, a post to the school's Progressive Student Union's Instagram read.

Commenters claiming to be students harshly criticized the PSU for its failure to effectively organize the protest and recruit enough Muslim and Arab students into the the effort occurring in the notoriously white and liberal Seattle area.

'I really hope you make sure to take proper security precautions this time and learn what operational security means. Without prioritizing security for all the students involved, the action is hollow and reckless,' wrote one user.

'These issues are happening repeatedly and reflect badly on you. Please do better and actually get security training and have procedures.'

'What about all the people who want this to happen ASAP. Announcing this and then pulling it back is irresponsible. You’ve put people in danger who decide to show up because they didn’t see this slide,' wrote user Bailee McCauley, who apparently remained in favor of moving forward with protest plans, while others advocated for the event's total cancelation.

'Please listen to the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students criticizing this event and cancel it,' wrote a user named Sofie.




Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!

 

 

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04/26 Links Pt2: International Criminal Court’s vicious smear tactics against America’s allies; Hamas Propaganda Gets a Pass from ‘Disinformation’ Watchdogs

April 26, 2024, 3:00 pm
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From Ian:

Douglas Murray: International Criminal Court’s vicious smear tactics against America’s allies
Of course, this whole thing is a fantastic moral inversion. It is not the Israelis who are committing war crimes.

It was Hamas who committed war crimes — live on camera — on Oct. 7.

Will Khan prosecute the leadership of Hamas?

Good luck to him if he tries.

It seems unlikely that the terrorist group will suddenly come out of their hostage-surrounded tunnels in southern Gaza or their luxury penthouses in Qatar and fly to The Hague.

One thing you can say with confidence about Hamas is that they’re not big “laws of war” guys.

And good luck to anyone who tries a citizen’s arrest.

Vladimir Putin will benefit from this, naturally. It would be a big win for him if he could point to the Israeli PM and say, “You see, the ICC tries to prosecute everyone.”

Such a move would also be a huge blow to all the internationalists who want to see an international court with some legitimacy.

Khan’s move — if he goes ahead with it — would blow up this ­infant global project at its foundation, making Republicans and Democrats alike become its biggest enemies.

And of course, such a disgraceful step would not stop the war in Gaza.

The Israeli war cabinet has made it clear they want nothing short of total victory.

That means the destruction of Hamas and the return of all remaining hostages.

If the ICC and others want to stop this war, they should focus on achieving that.

The fact they can do no such thing shows them up as the partisan eunuchs that they actually are.

But if they try to make this move against the Israeli PM and others, Khan and the ICC won’t delegitimize Israel — as they hope.

The court will simply delegitimize itself.

And vindicate the view of patriotic Americans of both political parties that this country should have no part in the farce at The Hague.
Douglas Murray on Iran attack, anti-Israel marches, and Israel’s resilience
A Labour victory, which has many Muslim voters, would likely not be better for Israel, but he expected it to be similar to Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s policy but weaker.

He credited Labor leader Keir Starmer for his work to improve the party and “lancing the worst of the antisemitism” but the foundations of the political movement were still radical.

Cameron “has been pretty bad as a friend of Israel during this conflict. His own anti-Israel sentiment seeps out fairly regularly.”

“I don’t think there’ll be that much difference to begin with,” said Murray. “The problem is always whenever a conflict emerges with Israel involving any of Israel’s neighbors, it doesn’t matter what size the conflict is, actually.

The responses to it get more and more vicious. And that’s something I’ve noted for a long time now, and I’m deeply concerned. This is a relatively large war compared to previous Gaza wars, but it’s not a large war compared to some others in Israel’s history. How the Labour Party will behave when they’re in government, we’ll see.“Back in the UK after almost six months in Israel, Murray said he was struck by how Israelis had met the challenges before them, but also how they were still dealing with the societal tremors of October 7.

“I’m deeply moved and inspired, really, by the young men and women of Israel,” said Murray. “I think they’ve been absolutely remarkable. I think the question which every society that isn’t completely asleep always asks itself is, ‘Would we be what our fathers or grandfathers or forefathers were in the time of trial?’”

He said that in the West, they had not been tested in such a fashion in a long time, and some older Israelis doubted the newer generations’ ability to stand fast. He said the older generations were no longer worried.

He met many soldiers serving in the Gaza and West Bank arenas, and in his eyes, “this generation of Israelis has stepped up to a historical moment, and they’ve been shown to be magnificent and brave and courageous.”

As he told President Isaac Herzog in a recent meeting, “They don’t do any of it out of hatred. They do it out of love. Love and the desire to defend their loved ones, their families, their people, their nation, their home. I see no hatred in the hearts of the young soldiers I meet. I see just the desire to live in peace and the knowledge that in order to live in peace, you must sometimes wage war, especially when war is waged upon you.”

While the soldiers fought, the country still grappled with a trauma that Murray said is still being processed. It was a trauma that many in the world did not understand.

He had spoken to Nova massacre survivors and their therapists, and they told them it was too soon to talk about PTSD.

“This country is still in the trauma,” said Murray. “I think that will be the case for a long time to come. The trauma being the deterrence that Israelis have believed they had for 50 years now broke down.”

Some of the wounds could be healed to a certain extent “with the return of any hostages that can be returned, but also with the reestablishment of Israel’s deterrence in both the military and intelligence fields. I think that’s the real end to it, to this conflict. The real end is when Israelis in the North and the South know that they can sleep safely in their beds. I spent many months living with the displaced people from Kiryat Shmona and elsewhere. I think of these people every day. Even when I’m not with them. They have to be allowed to return to their homes in safety.”
Seth Mandel: Hamas Propaganda Gets a Pass from ‘Disinformation’ Watchdogs
So why is Jankowicz back in the news? To combat the type of misinformation and disinformation spread by Hamas through Christiane Amanpour? Of course not. Through her dark-money group called American Sunlight, unnamed donors have funded her new crusade to investigate how Republican legislators have made it easier to be mean to women (read: Jankowicz) on the Internet.

The sad part about the disinformation scam is that disinformation does exist, you just wouldn’t know it by the attempts of progressive political activists who, like Jankowicz, have turned its pursuit into a McCarthyite partisan campaign. Indeed, the entire Israel-Hamas war since Oct. 7 has been infused with reporters’ startlingly unethical allegiance to obvious Hamas propaganda. That propaganda benefits progressive allies of the “disinformationists,” so it gets a pass.

As exposed repeatedly at major U.S. outlets, Hamas has created a network of fixers who have used their access to pose as photojournalists and shape the war narrative. Al Jazeera has now been caught credentialing several members of Gaza-based terrorist groups. And influential celebrity pundits like Amanpour have seemingly been successful in pressuring their networks to ease up on the fact-checking process that could filter out Hamas-planted stories. Obviously manipulated casualty statistics put out by Hamas have now made their way into regular media use without the disclaimer that used to accompany them. The filter is gone.

The result of all this is the spreading of physical violence against Jews around the world and the corruption of diplomacy by Westerners who have been reading from an Iranian script and occupying college campuses in deference to Iranian militias.

It’s fertile soil for aspiring watchdogs and disinformation researchers, if only we could find them.


Seth Mandel: Hamas’s Desperation
As the campus battles over the Israel-Hamas war have entered a new phase, the real war appears to be on the verge of doing the same. Although the IDF has arguably been on the cusp of a major operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah for a couple months, Hamas’s latest moves suggest it believes its time is running out.

Two weeks ago, Hamas was riding high. A mistaken Israeli strike had killed seven employees of a celebrity chef providing food to Gazans, and the Biden administration unloaded. Officials claimed it was part of a pattern of behavior, portraying it as inevitable rather than a forgivable one-off. President Biden complained about Israel’s entire war strategy and put the onus on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to get a ceasefire, thus deprioritizing the hostages (some of whom are Americans). All this came after the administration allowed passage of a UN resolution, shaped by Russia and China’s demands, that took the pressure off Hamas to release hostages.

In response to these events, Hamas began treating the hostage talks as a joke. Then, in a moment of high confidence, the terror group let slip that it could not abide by the outline of the already-lopsided deal Israel was willing to strike because it didn’t have the 40 requisite “humanitarian” captives still alive. Israel tried to salvage the deal anyway by saying Hamas could make up the difference in non-humanitarian captives, but Hamas’s leverage was higher than it had been since the beginning of the war, and the group balked.

These days Hamas isn’t so confident. The terror group revived the possibility of releasing non-humanitarian hostages in the first round of a new deal after all. Hamas also floated the possibility of negotiating its own surrender, but only if it could remain in government. In other words, it began begging for its life: “A top Hamas political official told The Associated Press the Islamic militant group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel and that it would lay down its weapons and convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders.”

This is, by my count, Hamas’s third such attempt to float this trial balloon during the current war, and it finally got international media to bite on a laughably pathetic proposal. Essentially, Hamas is saying that if Israel and the Palestinian Authority are somehow able to establish a two-state solution over Hamas’s violent opposition, Hamas is willing to be given governing power in that state anyway.

Then came Hamas’s attempt to restart the war in the north. It chose this moment to do so precisely because Western governments and aid agencies were starting to acknowledge that Israel has established channels and procedures for aid and water restoration in the northern Strip. Hamas also knows that if it can disrupt progress in the north, everyone will blame Israel despite knowing that it isn’t Israel’s fault—this is just the shape of the conflict. The attacks in the north are meant to rewind the clock to a more advantageous time for Hamas and divert resources away from Hamas’s last true redoubt in Rafah.
Melanie Phillips: Israel has become the world’s Gideon Falter –blamed for being ‘openly Jewish’
The fact that Israel is targeted for extermination is waved aside as untrue or irrelevant. If only it wasn’t “occupying” the disputed territories, if only it wasn’t refusing to allow a Palestine state, if only it wasn’t waging war in Gaza, goes the charge, the violence would stop.

The fact that Israel is acting legally and morally in its defence is denied. If Israel wasn’t there, Palestinian terrorism wouldn’t be happening — just as if Falter wasn’t there, the marchers screaming “scum” at him would be absolutely lovely people all singing Kumbaya. And just as antisemitism wouldn’t exist if the Jews weren’t in the world at all.

Over both Israel and the anti-Israel marches, this ludicrous and lethal attitude is based on fear and ignorance.

Terrified of the huge mobs, the police target instead the putative victims who pose no threat to anyone.

The Palestinians threaten permanent and violent mayhem against Israel, while their Arab and Iranian puppeteers demonstrate that they will attack any country that backs it. So Britain and the west target Israel for punishment instead over the absence of a Palestine state — which the Palestinians have been offered multiple times but have refused.

The failure to protect Jews from the hate marches has arisen from a catastrophic failure to acknowledge the nature and extent of Islamist extremism in Britain, the significance of antisemitism as a marker of cultural collapse and the genocidal reality of the Palestinian cause.

This makes the Palestinian flags and keffiyehs that are now regular items of street furniture and fashionable clothing into a fearsome menace, thrust in the faces of frightened British Jews.

This isn’t about policing strategy. It’s about British cultural survival.
Caroline Glick: Now is the time for choosing
The administration-directed onslaught is buffeted by the anti-Jewish, pro-Hamas pogroms at campuses from coast to coast. The symbiotic relationship between the vilification of Israel by the U.S.-led international community in support of Hamas’s survival and Israel’s defeat, coupled with the assault on Jews at universities, is forcing a choice on us all. A video address on Wednesday drew the link explicitly.

Noting that many leading universities have enabled the antisemitic violence on their campuses, Netanyahu said “more has to be done,” to fight antisemitism.

“It has to be done not only because they attack Israel. That’s bad enough. Not only because they want to kill Jews wherever they are. That’s bad enough. It’s also … because they say not only ‘Death to the Jews,’ but ‘Death to America.’ And this tells us that there is an anti-Semitic surge here that has terrible consequences.

Explaining the connection between events in the war on the ground and assaults on Jewish students and faculty, Netanyahu said: “We see this exponential rise of antisemitism throughout America and throughout Western societies as Israel tries to defend itself against genocidal terrorists. Genocidal terrorists who hide behind civilians. Yet it is Israel that is falsely accused of genocide. Israel that is falsely accused of starvation and sundry war crimes. It’s all one big libel. But that’s not new.

“We’ve seen in history that antisemitic attacks were always preceded by vilification and slander; lies that were cast against the Jewish people that were unbelievable. Yet people believed them.

“And what is important now is for all of us, all of us who … cherish our values and our civilization to stand up together and to say: Enough is enough.

“We have to stop antisemitism because antisemitism is the canary in the coal mine. It always precedes larger conflagrations that engulf the entire world. So I ask all of you, Jews and non-Jews alike who are concerned with our common values and our common future to do one thing: Stand up. Speak up. Be counted.”

Israel’s choice is between defeating its enemies on the battlefield even at the cost of terrible condemnation and isolation or collapsing under pressure and losing. Israel is called to make this choice in the immediate term, and its fate stands or falls with its decision about Rafah.

But while the focus is on Israel, the choice belongs to all who seek to preserve their freedom and safety. Will you stand with Israel, and by doing so, protect your own freedom and rights, or will you sacrifice both by staying silent?


Lee Smith: The Global Empire of Palestine
With his 1984 masterwork, Political Ponerology: The Science of Evil, Psychopathy, and the Origins of Totalitarianism, the late Polish psychiatrist Andrzej Łobaczewski sought to explain “the general laws of the origin of evil.” The bulk of post-Holocaust historical, clinical, and journalistic research argues there is nothing remarkably evil about those who commit atrocities. Most are just ordinary people caught up in a bureaucratic hierarchy doing what they believe to be their duty, even if they question its rectitude. This interpretation is famously captured by Hannah Arendt’s phrase describing Adolf Eichmann as an embodiment of the “banality of evil.”

Łobaczewski’s conclusion cut against the grain. He argued that what he called macrosocial evil is the function of pathologically evil individuals. They disguise their true ambitions for power, wealth, and notoriety behind ideology, using terms like “social justice” which are vague enough to convey the righting of wrongs, to animate social movements united by grievance. Inside these movements, genuine psychopaths and those who adapt most easily to a pathological order rise to positions of power and influence. Evangelizing on behalf of deviant and destructive causes and desecrating, or criminalizing, what is true, beautiful, and natural, in turn lays waste to social structures, institutions, industries, entire nations. The rise of the Empire of Palestine represents this pathological process on a global scale.

It was only a matter of time before the mutation forged by serial revivals of a pathological society jumped cultures and began to infect those billed for reanimating the Palestinians—Americans. In a recent poll, 51% of Americans between the ages of 18-24 expressed their belief that the Israelis should be forced to abandon their country and give it to Hamas. Fifty-one percent shows that what’s driving the numbers at the pro-Hamas rallies isn’t just the failure of Western officials to close their borders to Middle Eastern populations unwilling to shed the pathological racism and political scapegoating of their homelands. No, their ideas preceded them, and prepared the way for their arrival.

“We regard the U.S. government as the controlling force of neocolonialism, imperialism, and racism, and we have no doubt that the U.S. employs Israel to spearhead its strategy of domination in the Middle East,” said Arafat in the middle of the Cold War, slogans echoed today across the great cities of Europe and North America. Decades later, Barack Obama replayed the same message back through the U.N. to announce that America was switching sides and enlisting its resources to advance the cause of death.

With less than a month left in office, Obama strong-armed U.S. allies to push through U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, holding that Israel illegally occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including historical Jewish religious sites—a position that no American government had ever taken. Critics at the time noted that the resolution signaled the United States had adopted the position of the Arab rejectionist camp. But the real issue was even more serious—after all, the Arabs rejected not only Israel but also reality. The fact that so many European nations seconded Obama’s effort to reverse the outcome of a war decided in 1967 is evidence not of its moral probity but rather that the president had committed America to global leadership of a malignant fantasy. The “great euthanizer” had inverted the historical and moral order.

To the literal-minded, and others who do not yet recognize the character of the pathologies ushered in with the age of the Empire of Palestine, it may seem bewildering, for instance, to see LGBTQ+ organizations demonstrating on behalf of a Hamas triumph. But Queers for Palestine don’t need to be told how Hamas actually deals with queers in Gaza and the West Bank. That’s irrelevant. In the Empire of Palestine all difference is transcended. It’s not a place, it’s a spiritual principle guided by the inversion of reality and governed by the equation 2+2=5.

Few in the climate change movement could have been surprised to hear Greta Thunberg express her desire to “crush Zionism.” In her strident warnings of catastrophic global climate change and the end of humanity, the Empire of Palestine has always been the subtext, a land of chaos and confusion, an inverted Eden in the desert presided over by an unforgiving earth goddess.

The Empire of Palestine is an aesthetic convention. It’s an “open-air prison” and “the Riviera of the Levant.” It’s a forgery. A postcard from the continent of unreason.

Climate millenarianism, the mass replacement of native populations, the government-sanctioned sterilization of children—everywhere you look the mark of civilizational suicide is on the horizon as Western elites assemble under the imperial banner. Flown in European capitals and university campuses, it represents the longings of a powerful faction within the West of those exhausted by life and wanting one last time to feel something like life coursing through their veins as they await the cleansing fire, redemption culminating in the coup de grace.

It was inevitable they, too, would stand against the Jews, who have chosen life over death.
David Schwimmer Shreds Campus Antisemitism: ‘Silence Is Complicity’
Very few voices are willing to speak out against it, with Michael Rapaport and Patricia Heaton being rare, and welcome, exceptions.

Add a certain “Friend” to that embarrassingly short list.

David Schwimmer used Instagram to call out the insanity running wild in academia over the past week. The “Friends” alum posted a damning video showcasing the violence, hatred and rage flowing from the pro-Palestinian protests over the past few days.

Raw footage. Undeniable evidence. The video brings the receipts.

“Hamas we love you,” chant protesters at Columbia University, one of the more chilling messages in the clip. We also see pro-Palestinian protesters violently attacking people on campus.

Schwimmer shared it with his 8.2 million followers along with this powerful statement.
Jewish students across America are experiencing the worst attacks on their rights, dignity and safety in my lifetime.

While some of the protests are peaceful, the atmosphere is one of pervasive harassment, intimidation, segregation, hate speech, threats & acts of real violence.

If this were any other minority group the response would have been immediate outrage and action. And yet this antisemitism grows, spreading from middle school to high school to college campuses nationwide…

Please show your support for your Jewish neighbors, friends and colleagues.

Silence is complicity.
Israel’s Defender: The Unstoppable Spokesperson Eylon Levy
Eylon Levy was sitting in the prime minister’s office with the Israeli flag behind him, answering questions about the hostage situation from reporter Kay Burley of Sky News. It was November of 2023, one month after the Israel-Gaza War began, and Levy talked about how he hoped the hostages would be returned soon.

The interview was pretty standard; Levy was a well-versed on-air personality at this point, having conducted hundreds of interviews as a spokesperson for Israel since Oct. 7. But then, Burley asked a question that stunned Levy.

“I was speaking to a hostage negotiator this morning, and he made the comparison between the 50 hostages that Hamas has promised to release as opposed to the 150 prisoners that are Palestinians that Israel has said it will release,” she said. “He made the comparison between the numbers and the fact that does Israel not think that Palestinian lives are valued as highly as Israeli lives?”

Levy raised his eyebrows in disbelief and paused for three seconds before answering: “That is an astonishing accusation. If we could release one prisoner for every one hostage, we would obviously do that. We are operating in horrific circumstances. We’re not choosing to release these prisoners who have blood on their hands. We are talking about people who have been convicted of stabbing and shooting attacks. Notice the question of proportionality doesn’t interest Palestinian supporters when they’re able to get more of their prisoners out, but really it is outrageous to suggest that the fact that we are willing to release prisoners who are convicted of terrorism offenses – more of them than we are getting our own innocent children back – somehow suggests that we don’t care about Palestinian lives? Really? That’s a disgusting accusation.”

And with that, Levy went viral. The video got hundreds of thousands of views, Sky News apologized for the blunder and the Jewish community proudly supported the PM’s most prominent spokesperson. There were also plenty of memes about Levy’s eyebrows going around – a silly moment during an otherwise tense time.

Before Oct. 7, Levy was more or less a private citizen; he had served as an adviser to President Isaac Herzog, and had media training through this work as a correspondent at i24NEWS and IBA English News in Israel.

“I had control of my time, and I was anonymous,” Levy told the Journal.

But when Oct. 7 happened, his life changed overnight. He set up his camera in his living room and started giving interviews to the press about that tragic day, articulating the facts and stating the truth while being a fierce supporter of the Jewish State.

Soon enough, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office noticed Levy and reached out, making him an official government spokesperson. His job? To give interviews to international media outlets day and night, rarely taking breaks, to present Israel’s case to the world and defend it from a tsunami of misinformation. After the Sky News interview, he was catapulted into stardom.

“Everything has been inverted in the months since Oct. 7,” Levy said. “I suddenly became very recognizable in Israel, especially after the eyebrows incident. It’s definitely a very stark change that is taking some getting used to.”

Since the start of the war, Levy has conducted an estimated 280 interviews, participated in press conferences and created informative, pro-Israel posts on social media.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Weep for Gaza
Any humane person should feel sympathy for the people of Gaza, and I completely reject any suggestion that I don’t speak out on their behalf.

In the long run, we should hope and pray and campaign for a peaceful Gaza. When Islamists claim that they love death as much as the Israelis or Westerners love life, they are being awfully honest. But the Gazan people do not deserve death. They deserve life.

They deserve good lives, under a peaceful civilian government. They deserve a Gaza which lives amicably alongside the State of Israel. They deserve education, the protections of a humane legal system, and they deserve self-government. Gaza’s tiny Christian community deserves security, and a viable future. Gazans deserve productive jobs in Gaza (or, as was the case before October 7th, in Israel itself). They deserve to be treated with dignity, by both the Israelis and by their own rulers. One day, once Hamas is removed from power, Gaza could be a happy and free Palestinian city state on the Mediterranean shore.

This will happen when jihadism is crushed and discredited. It will happen when anti-Semitism is abandoned. It will happen when the West works to broker a genuine peace between a secure Israel and a free Palestine, rather than the violent fantasy of Israel’s destruction “From the River to the Sea.” It will happen when ordinary Arabs of good will have political leaders who can accept that Jewish Israelis will not be leaving their homeland, and when Israel clamps down on rogue Settlers in the West Bank and protects currently vulnerable Palestinian landowners.

My detractors accuse me of not caring about Palestinians, of not feeling their pain. This is completely untrue. I mourn the dead of Gaza, just as I mourn those killed on October 7th. I genuinely hope that one day this dreadful, bitter conflict will exist only in the history books.

There would be peace in Gaza tomorrow if Hamas laid down its weapons. There could be peace across the Holy Land next year, if Arab leaders could accept the State of Israel’s right to exist, and Israel acted to protect the Palestinian communities of the West Bank.

Dehumanization and despair are the tools of the jihadist and the totalitarian. I oppose jihadism precisely because I value human life. I want the people of Palestine to live, and to live well.

I hope and pray that Hamas are soon defeated, and that the people of Gaza are given the opportunity to choose life and peace.
From the River to the Sea
Susie Linfield: Not really, though Masha does call them “tyrannical.” It’s now known, reported in the New York Times and elsewhere, that there are 450 miles of underground tunnels in Gaza, a narrow strip of land that is only 25 miles long. This is where Hamas stores its enormous amounts of weaponry: missiles, drones, bombs, bomb-making factories, assault rifles, etc. It’s true that not everyone in Gaza is a Hamas supporter—in fact, we really have no way of knowing what Gazans’ views are. (Though a December poll by the respected Palestinian Center for Policy and Policy Research made my heart sink: It found that 72 percent of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza support the Oct. 7 attacks.) It’s equally true that virtually everyone in the Strip must have known about this huge underground infrastructure project, and that many young men must have been involved, whether willingly or not, in building it. And I think that, frankly, groups like Doctors without Borders, which I have always revered, have been lying when they insist that the tunnels—which mean weapons and fighters—don’t exist under hospitals, schools, and other civilian sites. How could an entire society, whose people are crammed into a tiny space, be kept in the dark for two decades, along with all the humanitarians who work there?

For Israel, the tunnels are a strategic and military nightmare. For Palestinians, they raise an important moral question. Since October 7, Hamas spokesmen have openly, indeed brazenly, asserted in the New York Times and other venues that they bear no responsibility toward Gazan civilians, that they are proud to create “martyrs,” and that the tunnels are meant to protect only the group’s fighters. Pause for a moment to consider this. Think of the countless thousands of Gazan lives, especially those of children, that could have been saved had Hamas shielded its population from the bombs, which it could certainly have done. What kind of “liberation movement” purposely wants its people to die? Can you imagine the African National Congress having done this in South Africa? The National Liberation Front of Vietnam? The Sandinistas? Anyone? Most liberation movements want their people, and especially their children, to survive. Children are the future. In contrast, Hamas wants its people, including and perhaps especially its children, to die. And it wants those deaths to be photographed, and to circulate throughout the world. The depravity of this is difficult, perhaps impossible, to comprehend. Hamas is a death cult, for Palestinians and Israelis alike. All those signs demanding “Free Palestine” should also demand freedom from Hamas—though frankly, I’ve never seen one of those.

Gessen’s piece is important because it illuminates, or at least displays, the muddled, inflammatory thinking that dominates too much of the Left. I found the essay particularly depressing because Masha is an astute, well-informed, morally centered journalist who does so much important work, especially on Russia. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is, alas, the place where critical thinking, which must always be based on sharp distinctions, goes to die. Still, I believe Gessen’s assertion that “I want Israel to continue to exist. I want it to exist in a way that would make me want to love and respect it.”

And there is one short phrase in her essay—a casual one—that caught my eye and has sort of haunted me. In a discussion of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, she writes. “Indeed, some B.D.S. supporters envision a total undoing of the Zionist project.” Whoa! What does it mean to “totally undo” a national project—in this case, one that saved millions of Jewish lives? Who the hell is B.D.S. to undo a national project? Are there other national projects on its hit list—France? Bangladesh? China? Why is eliminationism considered a valid “project”—a progressive project!—when it comes to the state of the Jewish people? What will the “total undoing” of Israel look like? We know the answer: It will look like October 7.

There is also something almost laughable—though also deeply irritating—about the increasingly Talmudic debate over whether anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, on which Gessen spends a lot of space. So do others: n+1 published an open letter signed by many leftist Jewish writers, insisting that the two “anti’s” aren’t the same. But they couldn’t bring themselves to even mention the Hamas attacks by name, instead putting forth a sort of wimpy “all lives matter” line. So let’s stipulate: No, anti-Zionism isn’t always anti-Semitism. You’re not an anti-Semite? Mazel tov! Unfortunately, the political positions of many self-professed anti-Zionists are atrocious nonetheless. And what’s so weird about all this is that in the aftermath of October 7, it’s become crystal clear that anti-Zionism is often anti-Semitism, and deeply so. The loathing, the resentment, the vilification of Jews is viscerally palpable in so many of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations, articles, statements. The n+1 statement was titled “A Dangerous Conflation.” It seems to me that what’s dangerous is the vicious, unhinged anti-Semitism that is circulating all over the world and all over this country, including in its elite spaces. Do organizations like B.D.S. or Jewish Voice for Peace vigorously disassociate themselves from this, as they would, rightly, if their movement was infected by white supremacy? No, they spend their time tediously explaining what good folk they are. Anti-Zionists need to get their houses in order, though I have zero confidence that they will.
Blinken: No actions taken against IDF units accused of breaching US law
The U.S. State Department is engaged with Israel to find a path to “remediation” for an Israel Defense Forces unit that it has determined is credibly accused of “gross human-rights violations,” according to a letter JNS viewed.

Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, stated in the letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Saturday that it is his assessment that some IDF units might be in violation of U.S. law, but that would not affect U.S. military support to Israel.

“The determinations I made only pertain to three units of the Israel Defense Forces, as well as two civilian authority units, alleged to be responsible for incidents of gross human rights violations against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank,” Blinken wrote.

“None of the cases involve Israel’s operations against Hamas in Gaza or against Iran or its proxies, and all cases long pre-date Oct. 7, 2023,” Blinken added.

Under the so-called Leahy Law, named for former U.S. senator Patrick Leahy, the U.S. State and Defense Departments cannot provide assistance to a security force unit of a foreign country if the secretary of state receives credible evidence that it has committed gross human rights violations.

The law provides an exception if the secretary determines that the unit is taking steps to bring the members of the unit responsible to justice—a process known as “remediation.”

Blinken said that of three IDF units that he determined were credibly accused of violations, two have undertaken remediation. A third battalion has not.

“The Israeli government has presented new information regarding the status of the unit and we will engage on identifying a path to effective remediation for this unit,” Blinken wrote in the letter that JNS viewed. “But this will have no impact on our support for Israel’s ability to defend itself against Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah or other threats.”
No mention of Israel in UN General Assembly head’s Passover message
One of the central passages in the Passover liturgy is “Next year in Jerusalem.”

That Zionist hope went unsaid during a Passover greeting that Dennis Francis, president of the U.N. General Assembly, issued earlier this week.

Francis, who is also the U.N. ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago, universalized the holiday rather than addressing its deep ties to the Jewish homeland.

“Passover is a season of rebirth and renewal, the triumph of hope and faith. It is also a time of reflection and remembrance,” he said. “The call of Passover is one of unyielding resolve to look beyond the current moment and work decisively, together, for a more peaceful tomorrow.”

He also called for a “successful observance of Passover.”

Francis’s country has consistently voted against Israel over the last decade and a half at the United Nations. Under his leadership, the General Assembly has assailed Israel, passing resolutions labeling the Jewish state an occupier—in the very land that the Passover story described them entering and being given by God.

Earlier this year, the General Assembly, which represents all 193 U.N. member states, asked the International Court of Justice—the principal U.N. judicial arm based in The Hague—to consider what legal consequences Israel should face for its “occupation” of what the assembly calls Palestinian territory, including the Temple Mount and the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem. (The Temple Mount contains the holiest site in Judaism.)

Francis was one of a handful of U.N. figures who supported Israel initially after Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack. He called for the terror organization to free the hostages, a key to ending the war.
Defending Israel with David Harris: Hillel Neuer
David Harris is joined by Hillel Neuer, long-time Executive Director of Geneva-based UN Watch, to discuss how the United Nations system, including the Human Rights Council and UNRWA, has regularly violated its own Charter in egregiously unfair treatment of Israel.


UN gives update on UNRWA staff accused by Israel of Oct. 7 involvement
UN investigators examining Israeli accusations that 12 staff from the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks have closed one case due to a lack of evidence from Israel and suspended three more, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Friday.

He said the inquiry by the Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) continues into the remaining eight cases.

In the closed case, Dujarric said "no evidence was provided by Israel to support the allegations against the staff member" and that the UN is "exploring corrective administrative action to be taken in that person's case."

He said three cases were suspended "as the information provided by Israel is not sufficient for OIOS to proceed with an investigation." He said UNRWA is considering what administrative action to take.

After an initial 12 cases were raised by the Israeli government in late January, a further seven cases were brought to the attention of the United Nations in March and April, Dujarric said. One of those cases was suspended pending receipt of additional supporting evidence, he said, and the remaining six investigations continue.

UNRWA provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the agency as "the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza" and pledged to act immediately on any new information from Israel related to "infiltration of Hamas" among its workers.


Former top Hague judge: Media wrong to report court ruled ‘plausible’ claim of Israeli genocide
Media reports that the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel was “plausibly” accused of genocide are inaccurate, Joan Donoghue, a judge and former president of the main U.N. judicial arm in The Hague, said in an interview with the BBC on Thursday.

The court never decided that South Africa’s claim that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza was “plausible,” despite an avalanche of media reports to that effect and a slew of diplomats, who interpreted the court’s ruling that way.

“I’m glad I have a chance to address that because the court’s test for deciding whether to impose measures uses the idea of plausibility. But the test is the plausibility of the rights that are asserted by the applicant, in this case South Africa” she told the BBC show HARDtalk.

“The court decided that the Palestinians had a plausible right to be protected from genocide and that South Africa had the right to present that claim in the court,” Donoghue said. “It then looked at the facts as well. But it did not decide—and this is something where I’m correcting what’s often said in the media—it didn’t decide that the claim of genocide was plausible.”

“It did emphasize in the order that there was a risk of irreparable harm to the Palestinian right to be protected from genocide,” she added. “But the shorthand that often appears, which is that there’s a plausible case of genocide, isn’t what the court decided.”

Donoghue’s term on the bench expired a few days after the court delivered its initial ruling on Jan. 26.

Following the ruling—and what the judge called the misreported “shorthand” in the media—Israel was widely accused of genocide and lawsuits charged other countries with abetting Israeli genocide or failing to stop the Jewish state from committing genocide.
Top judge corrects media
It was left to Natasha Hausdorff, a barrister and international law specialist who is also legal director of the UK Lawyers for Israel charitable trust, to explain what the court’s ruling actually meant:
Plausibility, at the provisional measures stage of the International Court of Justice, is a procedural matter; it is not about the alleged wrong being committed. The establishment of a prima facie case for the indication of provisional measures rests therefore on a finding that the rights claimed plausibly exist, not that there has been a violation of them. The case law clearly indicates — as does, I suggest, the wording adopted by the court itself — that this is about whether those rights are subject to a legal determination: do they fall under the genocide convention?

It is very important to understand why the allegations of genocide are being advanced. It is not because there is any currency to the allegations, any real evidence to base them on. They have been advanced by South Africa as a legal hook because Israel is a party to the genocide convention, as is the UK…

I respectfully insist that reading a finding of plausible risk that Israel is committing genocide disregards the court’s unambiguous statements, in particular at paragraph 30, where it says that it “is not required to ascertain whether any violations of Israel’s obligations under the genocide convention have occurred”.

The court’s task is “to establish whether the acts and omissions complained of by the applicant appear to be capable of falling within the provisions of the genocide convention”. In the court’s view, some of the rights claimed by South Africa were. That is as far as the court went. None of the acts alleged was found to be plausible, likely, arguable or at risk of happening.

A day later, Hausdorff’s explanation of the court’s ruling was effectively endorsed by the judge who delivered it.


Israel requests release of only 33 hostages in new attempted ceasefire agreement - report
An Egyptian delegation met Israeli officials on Friday, looking for a way to restart talks to end the war in Gaza and return the remaining Israeli hostages, an official briefed on the meetings said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel had no new proposals to make, although it was willing to consider a limited truce in which 33 hostages would be released, instead of the 40 previously under discussion.

"There are no current hostage talks between Israel and Hamas, nor is there a new Israeli offer in that regard," the official said. "What there is, is an attempt by Egypt to restart the talks with an Egyptian proposal that would entail the release of 33 hostages - women, elderly and infirm." How many hostages are left alive?

Israeli intelligence officials believe there are 33 female, elderly and sick hostages left alive in Gaza, out of a total of 133 still being held by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups.

There was no decision on how long any truce would last but if such an exchange were agreed, the pause in fighting would be "definitely less than six weeks," the official said.

Hamas said it was "open to any ideas or proposals that take into account the needs and rights of our people." However it stuck to central demands Israel has rejected, and said it criticized the statement for not calling for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The visit by the Egyptian delegation followed Israeli media reports of a visit to Cairo on Thursday by the Israeli army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, and Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence service.


Biden Admin Silent on Turkey's Sponsorship of Hamas in Counterterrorism Talks
The State Department's top counterterrorism official was in Turkey this week for meetings, but missing from her schedule were discussions about Hamas—an omission that isn't going unnoticed on Capitol Hill.

Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, the State Department's counterterrorism coordinator, landed in Ankara on Monday to discuss regional operations with Turkish leadership. Richard was in the country to shore up support for the "defeat of terrorist organizations such as PKK, DHKP-C, and ISIS in Syria and Iraq," according to a notification issued by the State Department.

Hamas—the region's central Iran-backed terrorist group, which receives financial and logistical support from Turkey—does not appear to be one of the agenda items, indicating that the Biden administration is hesitant to raise the issue even at a time when the terror group is waging war on Israel and sowing discord throughout the Middle East.

Asked whether Hamas would come up in discussions, a State Department official said he was looking into the matter and then did not respond to subsequent Washington Free Beacon inquiries.

Questions surrounding Richard's hesitance to raise the issue come amid a failure by other top Biden administration officials to press major Arab players about their support for Hamas. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, who is in Brussels this week, did not mention Hamas during a 30-minute briefing with reporters on "Israel and the broader region." In March, the Biden administration hosted a Qatari delegation that included an official who has praised Hamas terrorists and called for missile strikes on Israel. The issue has taken on renewed significance in recent days after Hamas released a video showing it tortured an Israeli-American hostage who is now missing parts of his arm.

Many regional experts see Turkey's ties to Hamas, which operates an office in the country, as a roadblock in U.S. relations with Ankara. Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh earlier this week, when Richard was in the country for talks. Erdoğan also committed during those meetings to "defend the Palestinian struggle."

On Capitol Hill, Republicans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the State Department's posture on the conflict, as well as its failure to secure the release of hostages.
'Mavi Marmara 2' flotilla delayed as flagged state requests inspection
A Gaza-bound activist flotilla will be delayed in its planned Friday departure after the flag state that the lead vessel was registered under requested additional inspections, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a Thursday statement.

The coalition said that the Republic of Guinea Bissau requested an additional inspection for the Akdeniz, a passenger ship currently docked at a Turkish port in the Marmara Sea according to automatic identification system tracking services.

The activists asserted that the administrative roadblock was "initiated by Israel in an attempt to prevent our departure. Israel is pressuring the Republic of Guinea Bissau to withdraw its flag."

"This is another example of Israel obstructing the delivery of life-saving aid to the people in Gaza who face a deliberately created famine," said the coalition. "This is not the first time that Israel has used these kinds of tactics to stop our ships from sailing. We have overcome them before and are diligently working to overcome this latest attempt. Our vessels have already passed all required inspections, and we are confident that the Akdeniz will pass this inspection, provided there is no political interference. We expect this to be no more than a few days delay."


Urban Warfare Project Podcast_ Defeating the Urban Enemy, with general David Petraeus - Modern War Institute
What is required to defeat an enemy force in a city? That question has plagued militaries for generations and is the focus of this episode of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast. Host John Spencer is joined by retired General David Petraeus, who served thirty-seven years in the US Army, culminating his career with six consecutive commands as a general officer, including five in combat. He served as commander of Multi-National Forces–Iraq during the troop surge, commander of US Central Command, and commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan. Following his retirement from the Army, he was the director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

General Petraeus earned a PhD from Princeton University and is the coauthor of the recently published book Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine. He brings both his background as a scholar of war and his deep, firsthand experience fighting enemy forces in urban areas to this conversation, sharing insights on both recent and ongoing urban battles and campaigns—including the Israel Defense Forces’ war against Hamas.
Israeli man killed in Hezbollah anti-tank missile attack
An Israeli man was killed overnight on Thursday in a Hezbollah anti-tank missile attack on the Mount Dov region near the border with Lebanon.

He was named as Sharif Suad from the Arab village of Ras al-Ein in the Galilee in northern Israel.

Suad was a military contractor conducting “infrastructure activity” when he was struck.

In response, the Israel Defense Forces shelled Hezbollah terror sites in Chebaa, Kfarchouba and Ein el-Tineh.

Among the targets hit were a weapons depot and a missile launch site. IDF forces also opened fire “to remove a threat” from Southern Lebanon.


Woman wounded in terror stabbing in central Israel
An 18-year-old woman was seriously wounded on Friday afternoon in a terror stabbing in Ramla in central Israel.

Magen David Adom emergency medics treated the victim at the scene before evacuating her to Shamir Medical Center (formerly Assaf Harofeh Hospital) in Be’er Ya’akov.

An armed civilian reportedly shot dead the terrorist.

Earlier this week, Israel Defense Forces soldiers foiled a Palestinian terror attack near Hebron in Judea.

Troops killed two terrorists near the Beit Einun interchange after one opened fire and the other attempted to stab soldiers.

No Israelis were injured.


Terrorists Attack US Humanitarian Pier Construction Site Off Gaza: Report
Gazan terrorists on Wednesday launched mortar shells at a site off the coast of Gaza where the United States is planning to construct a floating pier to deliver humanitarian aid, according to a report from Israeli outlet i24NEWS.

The mortar attack damaged American engineering equipment and left one person injured, i24NEWS reported on Thursday. The United States could start building the humanitarian pier as early as this weekend, with the Israel Defense Forces reportedly in charge of providing security during the construction.

President Joe Biden first announced the pier’s construction during his State of the Union address on March 7. U.S. military personnel will assemble the floating pier, an 1,800-foot-long causeway attached to the coast of northern Gaza, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the day after Biden’s speech.

"As the president has said, not enough aid is getting in [to Gaza]," Ryder said, noting the pier is expected to help deliver "up to 2,000,000 meals in a day."

"At no time will we require U.S. forces to actually go on the ground," Ryder added. "Our role will be essentially to provide the service of getting [the aid] to the causeway, at which point it will then be distributed."

Republican lawmakers have expressed concern that the humanitarian pier would endanger U.S. troops deployed to manage it, with over a dozen members of the Senate Armed Services Committee last month warning Biden that the plan "appears to ignore force protection issues entirely, against an enemy that tries to kill Americans every day."


Sheryl Sandberg film details horrific sexual crimes committed by Hamas on October 7
A documentary about the rape and sexual crimes committed by Hamas terrorists on and after the October 7 massacre has been published online to watch for free.

The film, entitled Screams Before Silence and featuring eye-witness testimonies from survivors, accounts from first responders, and interrogation footage of members of Hamas, provides considerable evidence for a campaign of systematic rape by the terror group during its devastating assault on southern Israel six months ago.

The documentary is fronted by former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg who in the film returns to kibbutzim that were targeted on October 7 with former residents to hear in heart-wrenching detail what happened to them that morning.

Sandberg also travels to the site of the Nova music festival massacre, which is now scattered with hundreds of newly planted trees, Israeli flags, and the pictures of all those murdered.

Between footage filmed by both Nova festival survivors and Hamas, first responders to the massacre tell Sandberg harrowing accounts of what they witnessed when arriving.

“Everywhere we go there are bodies on the road, there are bodies everywhere, everywhere. It’s an indescribable catastrophe,” one responder said.

A volunteer at ZAKA (Disaster victim identification) said that despite being trained to collect body parts and bodies in hard situations, he “doesn’t have words to explain what we saw.” They found mutilated bodies “cut to pieces, you couldn’t identify if it was a man or a woman, everything was ripped,” he said, and many bodies were naked.

One woman was found by ZAKA inside a home, under a mattress, with “nails around her female organs… She’s a woman so you could do whatever you want.”

Another reasoned: “When you see one woman, then another, and another, all with signs of abuse in the groin area, you understand that this wasn’t a random thing.”

Responders show Sandberg graphic pictures they took on their phones, including of the woman with nails around her groin, one with a piece of metal inside her, and another stabbed in the groin with a knife. “There’s no question about what they did there,” they said.
Screams Before Silence
A must-watch documentary. #ScreamsBeforeSilence sheds light on the unspeakable sexual violence committed on October 7. As heartbreaking as these stories in the documentary are, we cannot afford to look away.


Former hostage reveals Hamas terrorist demanded marriage, she stay in Gaza
Noga Weiss, an 18-year-old former hostage, told N12 on Thursday that her terrorist captor had demanded her hand in marriage and insisted that she stay in Gaza to raise his children.

Weiss, who was released on her 50th day in captivity as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Beeri on October 7.

After 14 days in captivity, her captor gave her a ring and demanded that she stay in Gaza to marry him and have his children.

“He told me, ‘Everyone will be released, but you will stay here with me and have my children,’” she recalled. “I pretended to laugh so he wouldn’t shoot me in the head.”

While Weiss and her mother Shiri were held captive separately, she told the source that the pair were reunited so the captor could ask Weiss’s mother for approval for the marriage.

“I thought she’d been murdered, I thought I was alone. Suddenly, she’s alive, and I’m not alone,” Weiss said on being reunited with her mother.

“People don’t understand the feeling of fear,” Weiss said. “I was 50 days, 24/7, with the thought that they would get tired of me and just shoot me or that they wouldn’t need me in the end, or that they would shoot us while we slept in the middle of the night.

“Their moods changed so quickly. One minute they played with us and laughed, the next they’d come in with a gun. You always had to please them.”

Speaking of the conditions, Weiss said at one point they were left with only half a bottle of water to last them two days.


Sadiq Khan apologises to Chief Rabbi for hinting at Islamophobia over his ceasefire call
Sadiq Khan has apologised to the Chief Rabbi after implying that Ephraim Mirvis’s criticism of his call for a Gaza ceasefire was influenced by his Muslim sounding name.

In an interview with the broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, the mayor of London suggested he was “disappointed” when Jewish leaders and “friends” including Mirvis condemned his decision to speak out on Gaza, while a similar ceasefire call by Manchester Metro mayor Andy Burnham was ignored.

In comments that immediately sparked anger in the community, Khan told Hasan:””What motivated them to come out in the way they did against the Mayor of London, and the Mayor of Greater Manchester – I’ll give you a clue, he’s not called Ahmed Bourani, he’s called Andy Burnham, whereas I’m called Sadiq Khan.”

Sadiq Khan with the Chief Rabbi at a Yom-Hashoah commemoration. Photo: John Rifkin

Sadiq Khan has apologised to the Chief Rabbi after implying that Ephraim Mirvis’s criticism of his call for a Gaza ceasefire was influenced by his Muslim sounding name.

In an interview with the broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, the mayor of London suggested he was “disappointed” when Jewish leaders and “friends” including Mirvis condemned his decision to speak out on Gaza, while a similar ceasefire call by Manchester Metro mayor Andy Burnham was ignored.

In comments that immediately sparked anger in the community, Khan told Hasan:””What motivated them to come out in the way they did against the Mayor of London, and the Mayor of Greater Manchester – I’ll give you a clue, he’s not called Ahmed Bourani, he’s called Andy Burnham, whereas I’m called Sadiq Khan.”

The interview was promoted online with the title “Islamophobia is now being normalised’: Sadiq Khan talks to Mehdi about Gaza and Trump”.

He had earlier claimed: “Very shortly after I called for a ceasefire, the Mayor of Greater Manchester called for a ceasefire.

“I’ve not seen the Chief Rabbi, the Jewish Chronicle, say comments said against me in relation to my calls for a ceasefire.

“And I’d ask those Jewish people to just pause and reflect on their response to me calling for a ceasefire. ”

Jewish News has learned that Khan has now expressed regret over the remarks made about Mirvis, which were expressed after ex-MSNBC US channel host Hasan questioned him about comments made about the mayor’s decision to call for a Gaza ceasefire on 27 October.

In a statement released later on Friday, Khan said: “I have been in contact with the Chief Rabbi to apologise for my comments, which I deeply regret.

“He has, along with other Jewish leaders, been a friend to me, and we have worked hard together to unite our city and celebrate our diversity. At times it is clear to me, and others, that as a mayor of London of Islamic faith, I am held to a different standard and that can be frustrating – particularly during a divisive election campaign.

“But, it wasn’t fair of me to have levelled that frustration at the Chief Rabbi. I am sorry for any hurt this has caused and will continue working with Jewish leaders to build a safer London for everyone.”


Man who wore Hamas headband to London Palestine protests, convicted
Khaled Hajsaad was found guilty of "arousing suspicion he was supporting a proscribed terrorist group" after he was caught wearing a Hamas headband to a pro-Palestine protest in central London, according to a Crown Prosecution Service statement on Thursday.

He was described as an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK a year ago by the UK media.

Hajsaad, a resident of Birmingham, was at a protest in London on November 25, 2023, when he was reported to the police for wearing a green headband with the Islamic profession of faith (Shahada) printed on it.

Hamas's primary color is green, and it uses the Shahada as a symbol; on this basis, London police seized the headband and arrested Hajsaad on the spot.
CNN’s Tapper: Unlike Charlottesville, ‘Most’ Campus Demonstrations ‘Peaceful’ and for ‘Palestinian Rights’
On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” host Jake Tapper reacted to 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump comparing the situation on college campuses to Charlottesville by stating that “There has been some anti-Israel sentiment and there has been some antisemitic sentiment,” but “most of them” were “peaceful, most of them in support of Palestinian rights” and “that’s not what the neo-Nazis in the Unite the Right rally were doing. That was not a peaceful march that turned into something ugly. It was ugly from the word go.”

After former Trump White House Lawyer Jim Schultz stated that Charlottesville was a bad issue for Trump politically, Tapper said, “Jim raised this really interesting point, David and Jamie, which is, why bring up Charlottesville? Like, that is one of the ugliest moments of his presidency, and yes, we are seeing protests all over the country, most of them peaceful, most of them in support of Palestinian rights. There has been some anti-Israel sentiment and there has been some antisemitic sentiment, without question. But that’s not what the neo-Nazis in the Unite the Right rally were doing. That was not a peaceful march that turned into something ugly. It was ugly from the word go.”
Jewish student falsely named as Sydney stabbing attacker settles defamation claim
The Sydney man who was wrongly named as the Bondi Junction stabbings murderer during a live broadcast by Seven News has reached a confidential settlement for his defamation claim against the network.

University student Benjamin Cohen, 20, hired defamation lawyers and sent a concerns notice to Seven after being erroneously identified as the perpetrator of the mass stabbing incident at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney, an attack that left six people dead.

In a letter from Jeff Howard, the managing director and CEO of Seven News, the network head admitted that naming Cohen “was a grave mistake and that these assertions were entirely false and without basis.”

“Seven withdraws the false allegations unreservedly and apologises to you for the harm you and your family have suffered as a result of Seven’s statements about you,” Howard said in the letter, which was released by Cohen’s lawyers.

Prior to Seven’s breakfast show Weekend Sunrise, which broadcasted the morning after the incident, a producer “mistakenly believed that information relating to a 40-year-old named ‘Benjamin Cohen’ had been confirmed as correct information,” which was then shared during the live news broadcast by its on-air presenters, according to Howard’s letter.

“Seven’s staff, including especially its on-air presenters Mr [Matt] Shirvington and Ms [Lucy] McLeod, are devastated that the error was made and that it has affected you.

“Seven wishes to assure you that the error originated at the producer level and that Seven’s presenters were in no way involved in suggesting or scripting the words which were published.

“Both Mr Shirvington and Ms McLeod nevertheless wish to offer their own personal apology to you for the hurt and distress caused. Whilst Seven does not suggest that it is relevant to your reaction, we nevertheless note that the staff members involved are deeply remorseful and traumatised by the mistake,” the letter said.

Online trolls falsely named Cohen as the perpetrator as early as Saturday night, sharing photos of the student on X where his name began trending.
Antisemitic online trolls next in line after Seven settles defamation case
Benjamin Cohen is shifting his legal focus towards online trolls who wrongly targeted him as the Bondi Junction stabbing killer following a settlement reached in his defamation case against the Seven Network.

Rebel News understands Cohen's legal team, spearheaded by lawyer Patrick George, is eyeing individuals like Maram Susli, known as Syrian Girl, and Simeon Boikov, known as Aussie Cossack, for their involvement in spreading false accusations against Cohen.

Despite Queensland man Joel Cauchi being identified by police as the actual assailant, Cohen, 20, faced a barrage of antisemitic abuse after being erroneously linked to the crime.


Moroccan asylum seeker guilty of murdering 70 year old ‘did it for Gaza’
A Moroccan asylum seeker has been found guilty of murdering a stranger after telling police he had killed because “Israel was killing children” in Gaza.

Ahmed Alid stabbed Terence Carney, 70, who was out for a morning walk, in the street in Hartlepool, County Durham, last October. Alid, 45, had prowled the streets looking for a victim after repeatedly stabbing his housemate, Javed Nouri, 32, Teesside crown court in Middlesbrough heard.

Nouri, who survived the attack, had converted from Islam to Christianity and Alid viewed him as an apostate, prosecutors said.

As Alid was apprehended by police following the stabbings, bodyworn footage showed him talking in Arabic. What he said was translated for the jury: "For the people of Gaza inshallah [god willing].

"Inshallah Gaza will return to our country. I am Arab, I am Arab, I am Arab, it will return to Arab country. I am the son of Arabs, in the name of Allah."

During his police interview, Alid said: "The whole issue is for the independence of Palestine. To have two dead victims is better than more.

"It is between the Zionist entity and Hamas movement. They set a specific time for shooting and if this Zionist occupation does not leave, here in Britain there will be [a] flood, unrest."

Asked if he intended to kill more people, Alid said: "I swear by Allah if I had a machine gun and I had more weapons that they would be in thousands.”

At the end of his police interview, he attacked two officers, yelling "Palestine" and "Allahu Akbar" as he grabbed one of them and wrestled her to the ground.

During his trial, Alid admitted stabbing the men but claimed he had not intended to kill either of them and had “lost his mind”.

A jury found Alid guilty of murder, attempted murder and two charges of assaulting police officers.
The horror in Hartlepool shames our midwit elites
Welcome to Britain, a safe haven for knife-wielding racist terrorists. That’s the disturbing impression left by the trial that has just concluded in Teesside, in which a Moroccan asylum seeker has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder. He tried to stab his housemate to death, before running into the streets of Hartlepool and murdering an elderly passerby. The killing spree was seemingly fuelled by his Islamist beliefs and his hatred of Israel and inspired by Hamas’s pogrom on 7 October. And there is no reason why this murdering, fascist scumbag should have ever been allowed to stay in this country for as long as he did.

On 15 October, at about 5am, 45-year-old Ahmed Alid burst into the bedroom of Javed Nouri, another asylum seeker with whom he shared a Home Office-provided house in Hartlepool. He slashed at Nouri, chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’. ‘In the darkness’, explains the Crown Prosecution Service, Nouri ‘could not find the door handle to escape but managed to fight off Alid and disarm him during the attack’. Another of their housemates came to Nouri’s aid, and Alid ran out on to the street. There, he found 70-year-old Terence Carney. He stabbed Carney six times in the chest, abdomen and back. One fatal blow pierced his heart. CCTV footage shows Alid slashing as Carney cries, ‘No, no’.

A judge will decide whether Alid’s actions had a ‘terrorist connection’ at his sentencing in May. I dare say there’s a strong case. After he was apprehended, Alid chanted ‘For the people of Gaza’. ‘The whole issue is for the independence of Palestine’, he said, during his police interview. ‘It is between the Zionist entity and Hamas movement. They set a specific time for shooting and if this Zionist occupation does not leave, here in Britain there will be [a] flood, unrest.’ So this seems very likely to be the first Hamas-inspired, 7 October-inspired attack on British soil. In the days before the Hartlepool attack, former Hamas chief Khaled Mashal, from the safety and luxury of Qatar, called for Muslims the world over to ‘take to the streets’ that Friday for a ‘day of rage’. (Alid burst into Nouri’s room on Sunday morning.) He told police he killed Carney because Britain had ‘created’ Israel – the ‘Zionist entity’ – and ‘should make it leave’.

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that the authorities had ample opportunities to stop Alid before he picked up two kitchen knives that morning. And they missed them all. Nouri, an Iranian asylum seeker, went to the police on 13 October, saying he believed Alid was an ‘extreme Muslim’ and a ‘terrorist’. Alid would sit in the kitchen with a knife and give him ‘bad looks’, Nouri said, after realising he had converted to Christianity. After 7 October, Alid was found watching the massacres on his phone and laughing. The response? The manager of the state-funded housing they lived in agreed to have a word with him. A word with him. It’s almost darkly funny imagining how that conversation went: ‘Listen, Ahmed, you’ve got to give it a rest with the Hamas snuff videos and the knives. You’re upsetting the other residents.’ Cleveland Police say their hands were tied, because no ‘specific threats’ were reported at the time. The force has already been investigated and cleared by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.


Jonah Hauer-King in Tattooist of Auschwitz: ‘If I wasn’t getting upset, I wouldn’t be doing my job’
Usually as an actor, when you’re offered a role it’s pure joy,” says Jonah Hauer-King. When he accepted the lead in the new series The Tattooist of Auschwitz, playing the Slovakian Jewish prisoner Lale Sokolov, however, he was “terrified”.

“While I was incredibly honoured, I was aware of the responsibility and how important it was to do the story justice. I felt pretty daunted.”

The rising star, 28, is best known as charming Prince Eric in last year’s The Little Mermaid but this might change after this six-part series — about the true story of the Jewish prisoner who tattooed ID numbers on to fellow prisoners and fell in love with one, Gita, who became his wife — airs next month.

In the hotel where the series is today being promoted, Hauer-King wears a preppy woollen jumper, his thick mop of dark hair regrown after being shaved off for the role. To his surprise, the head shaving proved to be the hardest part of his role.

“I thought it was going to be this innocuous part of the whole process because you cut your hair on every job,” he says. “And I was naive; it inevitably holds this poignancy because of why people’s heads were being shaved and the dehumanisation aspect to it.”

In the show, his eyes are pink-rimmed, his complexion washed-out and he looks drawn, having lost weight for the part (although his winsome dimples are omnipresent). But he’s hesitant to discuss the weight loss. “Because sometimes it can be seen as an acting exercise, though this was just a case of Tali [Shalom-Ezer, the Israeli director] and I having honest conversations about wanting the story to feel believable and compelling on screen. It was a necessary part of it.”

This is a role for which he prepared more than any before “by quite some way”. And his first move was to board a plane to Krakow.

“Not only to pay my respects, but also to see the camp through Lale’s lens,” he says. “So much of it is about his experience there and it felt important. You bear witness to the scale and the scope of it.”




Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

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Read all about it here!

 

 

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04/27 Links: Hatred of Israel is the great moral disorder of our time; Hamas publishes video of hostages Omri Miran and Keith Siegel; BBC has turned into modern day Joseph Goebbels

April 27, 2024, 7:00 pm
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From Ian:

Hatred of Israel is the great moral disorder of our time
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem… (Psalm 137)

It is the great moral disorder of our time.

Dear Israel is but a spit of earth on a huge globe. Three years after six million Jews were put to torture, humiliation, whippings, rape, medical experiment, starvation, and vile death, was it not surely time — time for all the nations of the Earth who had reached some moral understanding of life and government — to allow Jewish people time to rest, time to mourn, time to see what and who might be left of them.

To find just one period, just one time, just one place where and when they did not have to start up in the middle of the night when unfamiliar sounds disturbed, did not have to hear demagogues howling at them from street corners, or put up with the trendy, ignorant western pseudo-radicals shouting in bullhorns from library steps. To not see their shops and homes targets of mobs and slanders, their synagogues battered.

A time when they might gather on a bit of land where dogs were not set upon them; where children did not mock them; where passerby thugs did not attack their elders in the street; where Jews unique in their sorrow and pain could meet with some of their tormented doubles, if for nothing else but to share laments and profound griefs, generate solace by shared company and memory.

Ah, Jews. Ah, Israel.

Poor Jews. It was not enough that Europe built a hecatomb of your kind because a madman and his mad country hated you. When you were nearly ripped out of history altogether, your spectacular survival over centuries and millennia genuinely threatened, averted as much by the chances of a war in which one side ignored you while the other industrialized your killing.

A guilty world — no, only a part of what should be a guilty world — offered you a spit of land: dust, bush, waterless (the former B.C. cabinet minister was correct in her description). I believe it’s called a desert.

It was “presented” as the homeland for Jews in 1947. For (wrung with accents of burning pity whenever the word was said in this context) the “survivors.”

This was when “survivors” meant people — men, women, children, infants — who had been rounded up, packed into railway cars, families ripped asunder, thrown into hideous camps with sadistic guards and vicious dogs, worked to death, starved, and for days, weeks or (some few) for years, spat upon, beaten, treated like less than dogs — hollowed out from torture, starvation and hopelessness.

To still be breathing after that! That’s a survivor.

(One of the heresies of our careless times is how we have let moralizing idiots, fat and comfortable woke types, haul out this word — “survivor” — to describe their own ignorant obsessions, their hypertrophic sense of privilege, to claim our attention.)
Arsen Ostrovsky and Amjad Taha: It's Time to Act Against Antisemitic Behavior on Campus
When universities continue to permit anti-Jewish hatred under the guise of anti-Zionism; indulge hate groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and cannot even answer whether calling for genocide against Jews is against university policy, what did they think was going to happen?

In a statement ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover, President Joe Biden said "this blatant antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous—and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country."

Condemnations of the protests and expressions of solidarity with Jewish students are certainly welcome, and in fact necessary, but in the absence of urgent action, they are hollow and meaningless.

The following, therefore, is a 10-point action plan to restore order and protect Jewish students:
1. These ugly scenes must be labeled not as peaceful protests, but as pro-Hamas demonstrations by antisemites.
2. Universities need to call in the police to remove these rioters and anarchists from their encampments on campuses. If the police won't, then the National Guard should be called in.
3. Leaders must speak to Jewish students who are scared to enter campus, listen to them, and provide all the support they need.
4. Students found in breach of school policy must be punished, including with expulsion, and banning of their registered student organizations, while foreign students found in violation should have their visas revoked and be deported.
5. Lecturers, professors, and staff found taking part should also be disciplined.
6. Do not cancel in-person classes. That would be cowering before the bullies and haters, putting students who want to learn at a disadvantage. If universities and teachers take appropriate disciplinary measures and security precautions, there should be no need to resort to virtual classes.
7. Follow the money to find out who is funding these protests and protesters. Qatar, for example, has poured billions of dollars into Ivy League universities, buying up schools, chairs, and fellowships.
8. Initiate an avalanche of lawsuits and Title VI claims. Jewish students are not powerless and universities that receive federal funding are prohibited under the Civil Rights Act from discriminating against students on the basis of race or national identity, or allowing a hostile environment to form.
9. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, the most widely endorsed definition of Jew-hatred in all its manifestations, must be adopted and applied by every university. The IHRA definition has already been adopted by more than 40 countries, thousands of civil society organizations and has received bi-partisan support in the United States.
10. And lastly, Congress must immediately pass legislation rescinding federal funding from any university that does not take satisfactory action against this tidal wave of antisemitism or fails to protect Jewish students from discrimination or harassment.


We are at an inflection point where universities must decide whether they want to remain respected places of higher learning for all or become no-go zones for Jewish students. The decision is theirs.
Andrew Neil: Anti-Semitic campus know-nothings aren't pro-Palestine... they're pro-WAR! And, in their stupidity, they're making the strongest case yet for Israel's survival
Nobody is wondering that now as, even in America, radical Muslim leaders call for the destruction of Israel, backed by students at the nation's most elite universities and therefore those possibly (and frighteningly) running the country in the years to come.

America's Muslim population can only grow while Jews will become an ever smaller percentage of the total population.

Violent Islamism has a strong footing in many Western democracies these days and its influence is likely to grow stronger. Suddenly that Jewish homeland looks more necessary than ever.

This sorry tale still has some way to run. The pro-Hamas protestors have strong allies on the Left of the Democratic Party. They will be out in force come the Democratic convention in Chicago this August.

Chicago, of course, was the scene of the most violent Democratic convention ever in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, when Mayor Daley's somewhat robust police force clashed with radical demonstrators trying to disrupt the convention.

I don't say we're in for a repeat as bad as that but it will not be pretty on the streets of the Windy City this summer.

The President, for today's protestors, is 'Genocide Joe'. They will be out to pressure the Democrats into ending their support for Israel the way they wanted the party to end its support for the Vietnam War all these years ago.

Vietnam involved the conscription of hundreds of thousands of young American men to fight a massive war on the other side of the world, which eventually cost over 55,000 American lives. That gave the protests a special edge and relevance. Israel involves none of that, which is why it does not have the same piquancy for most folks.

But pro-Palestinian sentiments are the coming force in the Democratic Party, with all the attendant anti-Semitism we are currently witnessing.

There can be no compromise with such forces, whatever the superficial attractions of winning the youth vote by pandering to know-nothing students. We shall see if Biden is up to the challenge and stands firm in his resolve to support Israel.


Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The West's pathetic appeasement of Islamist extremists: For 33 years, my friend Salman Rushdie has shown incredible bravery. But the denial and delusion of Western apologists has only allowed fundamentalism to flourish
All this has been further fuelled by mass immigration on an unprecedented scale, transforming the demography of European societies and accelerating the Islamification of Britain and the continent.

The impact of this appeasement can be seen in the recent poll by the Henry Jackson anti-extremism think tank which found that 52 per cent of British Muslims want to make it a criminal offence to show an image of the Prophet Mohammed, while a third openly support the introduction of sharia law.

It would have been unthinkable in the Britain of only a few years ago that a teacher in Batley, West Yorkshire, would have to go into hiding in fear of his life because a mob of theocratic fascists objected to his teaching materials for a religious studies lesson, but such sectarianism is now common.

The teacher in question, a well-regarded professional, had discussed with his pupils the appalling Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris in 2015, when 12 people were shot dead by terrorists after the satirical magazine had published a cartoon of Muhammed.

For a few days, a wave of outrage swept across the West, epitomised by the slogan Je Suis Charlie but it was a sentimental spasm that soon passed. Nor was the Batley teacher given the backing he deserved from his school, the local council, the police or even his trade union.

The Batley saga epitomises our topsy-turvy times, in which Muslim campaigners simultaneously pose as oppressed victims while stoking a climate of fear and intimidation. In advancing their cause, grievances are listed with a menacing side-order of blackmail.

It takes the guts of someone like Katharine Birbalsingh, the outstanding head of the Michaela school in West London, to stand up to the zealots, as she bravely did recently when she refused to create a special prayer room on the premises because it would shatter the secular ethos that has been essential to the school’s success.

But such toughness is rare. Many civic leaders take the line of least resistance, as occurred in a shameful incident in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, where a 14-year-old autistic boy was hauled before an ugly kangaroo court made up of local Muslim activists to be interrogated about his alleged mishandling of a copy of the Koran.

Incredibly, instead of shutting down this farce, West Yorkshire Police had an officer present to add an official gloss to the proceedings. Depressingly, I fear there will be more of this nonsense when Labour comes to power under Sir Keir Starmer. Throughout Europe, socialists have proved natural allies of the militants, partly because they both subscribe to the narrative of ethnic minority victimhood.

Moreover, Starmer’s party has long been reliant on the electoral support of Muslims, 70 per cent of whom are estimated to vote Labour. So we can expect more grants to Muslim community groups, more special treatment masquerading as positive action, more legislation on ‘Islamophobia’, and more gesture politics like this from the heart of England.

While hundreds of thousands of brave women in Iran protest against the Islamic head-covering, in Labour-run Sandwell in the West Midlands a huge, brutalist sculpture has gone up of a Muslim woman in traditional dress. ‘The strength of the hijab’ is the title of this piece of theocratic propaganda which should have no place in Britain.

Rushdie himself said recently: ‘We live in a moment, I think, at which freedom of expression and freedom to publish has not in my lifetime been under such threat in the countries of the West.’

He is right. It is a profoundly depressing thought that no mainstream publisher would touch The Satanic Verses today.
Could the Columbia Campus wars over Israel now tear British universities apart?
You can see why some students feel that the situation isn’t too far from an incident in which saw three Ivy League presidents tell a congressional inquiry that calls for the genocide of Jewish people wouldn’t necessarily violate each university’s code of conduct but would depend on context.

To many, it feels a stark contrast with prevailing campus culture which sees trigger warnings attached to everything from Shakespeare to discussions about old age. To coin a sadly well-worn phrase: to many students, it feels that Jewish people don’t count.

Dr David Hirsh is a sociologist who has been studying as well as experiencing the new antisemitism for two decades and runs the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism. He says we could easily see a Columbia-style situation replicated here in the next few weeks.

“What we are seeing on campuses today is nothing new, but there is just more of it and it feels like it is a discourse which has become completely normalised with more and more sit-ins and ‘occupations’ for Palestine,” he says.

“The genocide allegation posits Jews as the new Nazis and the Nazis were the worst people in the world; this new antisemitism not only allows people to hate the overwhelming majority of Jews, but says they are right to do it.”
Ruthie Blum: Shai Davidai’s war on campus antisemitism
Due to his battle for the past six months against campus antisemitism—unleashed in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel—Columbia University business school assistant professor Shai Davidai has become an Internet sensation.

His impassioned, unscripted speeches on the premises of the Ivy League institution in upper Manhattan have gone viral since they first emerged, less than a week after Hamas terrorists perpetrated the worst atrocities against Jews since the Holocaust. The latest example is a clip of his confrontation on Monday morning with Columbia Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway, who denied him access to the main campus.

When Davidai arrived to hold a peaceful sit-in and discovered that his ID card had been deactivated, he berated Holloway for preventing Jews from entering an area where pro-Hamas demonstrators were welcome to hold a protest. He then addressed the COO on X.

“Cas, you’re a really great guy,” he wrote. “[But] I am still trying to understand how you could … keep a straight face when you capitulated to the pro-Hamas mob … I think I know how. You were just doing your job. … Look, I get it. You’re scared. You are worried about how the pro-Hamas extremists (and the brainwashed cult they’ve amassed) will react if you try to disperse them. … The problem is that you are not alone. There are thousands of administrators like you all over U.S. campuses who are also scared. … Like you, they are just doing their jobs. And there were millions of Germans like you in the 1930s. Good Germans, upstanding Germans, who were just doing their jobs. Who do you think ran the universities of Berlin and Munich and Heidelberg and Frankfurt in the 1930s? Who helped the Hitler Youth check out books by Jewish authors to burn outside of campus? Administrators. Just like you…”

It takes guts these days for an academic to entertain an independent thought, let alone shout it from the rooftops when his tenure isn’t yet secured. But this is only part of the reason that Davidai’s courage is worthy of note.

More remarkable about his unabashed campaign to defend Jews from Hamas lies is his background. The 40-year-old native Israeli—like his spouse, with whom he moved to the United States in 2010—is on the far-left.
When it comes to Jew hatred, the Liberals are paralyzed
That was at least better than Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland who, when accurately asked by a reporter:

“Over the weekend, protesters in Ottawa were heard chanting among other things ‘long live Oct. 7’ and ‘Oct. 7 is proof that we are almost free’, is this hate speech?”, responded: “I wasn’t in Ottawa over the weekend and I’m not aware of those specific reports and so it would be just wrong of me to comment on something that I am not specifically aware of,” before adding antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise.

Later, having seen the video, Freeland said on X: “I can only express shock and disgust at the antisemitism and glorification of terrorism that occurred on Parliament Hill. This hate speech has no place in Canada. None.”

This is a microcosm of how the Liberals are so politically conflicted on the wave of anti-Semitism that has swept across Canada since Oct. 7, that they are incapable of providing the moral leadership necessary to address it.

They know this is the worst outbreak of Jew hatred since the 1930s, but they also know there are far more Muslims in Canada than Jews, whose political support they covet.

So they instinctively equate antisemitism with Islamophobia, instead of dealing with the reality that while both are evil and both have increased since Oct. 7, the unprecedented targeting of Canada’s Jewish community has been different in both kind and degree.

While the Ottawa police service’s hate crimes unit has announced an investigation into comments made at the Ottawa demonstration, the larger issue is that Jew hatred has already been normalized across Canada.

What happened in Ottawa over the weekend is far more than “problematic” in the context of the reality that for months Jewish gathering places have been firebombed, Jewish day schools shot at, Jewish-owned businesses torched and vandalized, Swastikas painted on synagogues and homes, Jewish university students threatened and Jewish communities, described as “Zionist-infested” areas, targeted.

The Liberals know this but they’re politically paralyzed when it comes to countering it.
We are the West’s last generation before the new Dark Age begins
The hypocrisy is unconscionable. The woke ideology is incompatible with the preservation of the West – and yet it is this philosophy that we are allowing universities to indoctrinate our children with.

Wokery has made massive progress in Britain, and there have been some horrible demonstrations of it on UK campuses. With the exception of the excellent University of Buckingham, where pluralism reigns, every other university in the UK employs almost exclusively Left-wing academics, a bias that wasn’t anything like as pronounced even 25 years ago.

We have some safeguards: opposition to critical race theory and gender ideology are protected philosophical beliefs under the Equality Act. The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act is one of the few genuinely good Tory reforms of the past 14 years. Arif Ahmed, the inaugural director for freedom of speech and academic freedom, has said that calls for genocide, or speech that incites violence, will not be protected “under any circumstances”, but that he will defend genuine plurality of opinion when the new regime begins in August.

Yet this isn’t enough. In 1581, Oxford University decided that no student would be allowed to matriculate unless they swore oaths to the Queen and the Church of England. It took until the 1871 Universities Tests Act to liberate Catholics, Jews and others to study, graduate and work at Oxford, Cambridge and Durham.

In 2024, Left-wing ideology is the new secular religion. Do we need another Universities Test Act? How do we drastically increase the percentage of non-Left-wing academics? Is the answer to launch new non-woke institutions, like the University of Austin? Or to terminate all subsidies on non-scientific subjects that are more prone to politicisation? In the US, the Ivy League will be hit by multi-billion dollar lawsuits for discrimination. Some are targeting their huge endowments, arguing that this is the time for a new Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Whichever way we go, we cannot grant the Left a permanent monopoly on universities. The West has no future if our youth are taught to hate our civilisation.
An open letter to the Columbia University Gaza war protesters from a pro-Palestinian activist in Israel
As a graduate of Columbia College (Class of 1991) and a peace activist who lives in Israel, I am watching videos and reports from my alma mater’s campus and wondering what I would have done if I were a student there now.

I am an activist and have been all my life. I believe strongly in the ability of grassroots movements and peaceful protest to change the world.

When I first moved to Israel, my activism was focused on feminism and religious pluralism. Today, however, I strongly believe the most pressing issue in Israel-Palestine today is solving the conflict.

Since well before the current extremist right-wing Israeli government was elected, I have been demonstrating against the occupation (later also the Nation-State Law declaring Israel officially a Jewish state) and working for Jewish-Palestinian partnership within Israel’s borders. My debut novel, “Hope Valley,” is about the friendship between a Palestinian Israeli woman and a Jewish Israeli woman in the Galilee.

I am a very active member of Standing Together, a movement of Palestinian-Israelis and Jewish-Israelis working in complete partnership towards an end to the occupation, Palestinian self-determination and a more equal, just and peaceful society within Israel. I am involved in a variety of groups and organizations committed to a vision of peace, justice and equality for all people on the land from the “River to the Sea.”

I remain active in these groups even after Hamas’ brutal attack on Oct. 7. I am even out on the streets now calling for a mutual ceasefire and a return of all the hostages (many of whom it seems are tragically no longer alive), as well as for the resignation of government officials and early elections.

And so, if I were studying at Columbia today, I would ask myself: Should I join your protests? After all, I, too, am pro-Palestinian.

But I am also pro-Jew.

And when you chant, “There is only one solution, intifada revolution!” and “From the Sea to the River, Palestine will live forever!” you are not calling, as I and my Palestinian-Israeli friends are, for peace, justice and equality for all humans within those borders. You are calling for the violent destruction of the country where we live, and the murder of its citizens — including the Palestinian ones. As we saw on Oct. 7, Hamas has no more sympathy for other-than-Jewish Israelis — not even for Muslim ones — than it does for Jewish Israelis.
UNRWA and neutrality: It couldn’t be further from the truth
This past week, Israelis and Jews worldwide have been absorbed in contemplating how to celebrate Passover, which typically rejoices in the freeing of Jews from the shackles of slavery in ancient Egypt.

In dire reality, 133 hostages taken from Israel remain in the shackles of Hamas for over 200 days.

Also during this holiday period, an Independent Review Group on UNRWA, appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in early February 2024, submitted a 54-page report with its findings.

Assessing UNRWA's adherence to neutrality
The review group was tasked with assessing UNRWA’s adherence to principles of neutrality. Led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, it commissioned three organizations (from Sweden, Denmark, and Norway) to extensively analyze the UN agency.

The report’s research methodology was comprised of field visits to UNRWA headquarters and interviews with more than 200 people from 47 countries and organizations.

While much of the public discourse vis-à-vis the report centers on Israel’s failure to equip the review group with evidence regarding the involvement of UNRWA employees with Hamas, which Israel publicly denies, perpetuating this conversation misses the very important claims made by the report regarding UNRWA’s neutrality – or lack thereof.

The review group outlines no fewer than 50 policy recommendations that UNRWA should implement to strengthen its neutrality. The mere number is enough to signal that there is much work to be done on UNRWA’s end.
Protesters block Ayalon Highway, demanding elections and hostage deal
Thousands gathered across the country to protest for the release of hostages in Gaza and for the declaration of elections on Saturday night. In Tel Aviv, protesters blocked the Ayalon Highway and seven protesters were arrested.

Demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem and on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv. Demonstrators also gathered in Haifa as well as other parts of the country.

Protesters carried posters of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, calling for his immediate release. Earlier this week, a video was released by Hamas showing Hersh alive.

While at Begin Gate, Stav Arnon, from the women's protest for the return of the hostages, condemned the government for prioritizing the war over the release of their family members.

Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv filled with tens of thousands of protestors calling for elections now and the release of the hostages. (credit: @sha_b_p)

She especially called out Ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, "The responsibility is in your hands. Get out of this damned government immediately! You normalize the abnormal. You said you were there to return the captives, but you didn't live up to your promise, the hostages are still there. The time has come - choose which side you are on."


Israel warns Hamas: Accept hostage deal, or we’ll enter Rafah
Israel warned Hamas it will carry out a major military operation unless the terror group accepts a deal on the table for the release of some, but not all, of the remaining 133 hostages.

“If there is a deal, we will suspend the operation,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Channel 12 as the IDF continued its preparations for the operation and Egypt renewed its push to secure a hostage deal after weeks in which it seemed that such efforts had hit a dead end.

“The release of the hostages is a deep priority for us,” Katz stressed. He spoke after an Egyptian delegation was in Israel on Friday for talks with Israel on the possibility of a new deal.

“If there is an option to make a deal, we will do it,” he said, although he stressed that this would not impact the overall goal of the war, which was to destroy Hamas.

Hamas considers Israel's official response
Hamas said it had received on Saturday Israel's official response to its latest ceasefire proposal and will study it before submitting its reply, the group's deputy Gaza chief said in a statement.

"Hamas has received today the official response of the Zionist occupation to the proposal presented to the Egyptian and the Qatari mediators on April 13," Khalil Al-Hayya, who is currently based in Qatar, said in a statement published by the group.

At issue has been the potential of the release of some 20 to 40 of the hostage — women, the elderly, and the informed — in exchange for a pause to the war, which in the past has been described as lasting six weeks. Israel would also be expected to release Palestinian security prisoners and terrorists held in its jails.

Hamas has insisted that it wants a permanent end to the war. Mediators have looked to move the issue forward without immediately addressing that point, as Israel has insisted that Hamas can no longer remain in Gaza and it must complete its military operation to destroy it.


UK Looking to Deploy British Soldiers to Deliver Aid to Gaza via Biden’s Floating Pier, BBC Reports
The United Kingdom is considering deploying British troops to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip following the construction of an offshore floating pier by the United States military, the BBC has claimed.

A report from Britain’s public broadcaster, citing unnamed government sources, the UK is making plans to send soldiers to drive aid trucks from the soon-to-be-completed pier to a floating causeway to the shores of Gaza.

While the BBC noted that no final decision had been made, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yet to give his approval, the report came after a senior military official from the United States said that there would be no American “boots on the ground” and that a so far unnamed third-party country will supply the manpower to drive the trucks and deliver the aid.

“We have a third party who will be driving the trucks down the pier,” the U.S. military official said. “Just a point of emphasis, there will be no US military boots on the ground. So, a third party is driving those trucks.”

The UK has already been deeply involved in the project, with the Royal Navy providing a ship that will help house American military personnel working on the construction of the pier and the UK Hydrographic Office giving analysis of the Gaza shoreline to help plan its construction.

Additionally, British military officials have also been tasked with assisting in the screening of aid packages in Florida and Cyprus before them being sent to Gaza.

Although the floating pier is yet to be completed, the Biden administration is hoping that the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) operation will begin delivering aid to the region as soon as early May, with up to 150 trucks per day coming via the sea route. This is on top of the 220 trucks full of aid being delivered daily by land into Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has vowed to provide “security and logistics support for the JLOTS initiative… to enhance the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip”.

However, with British troops potentially manning the frontline of the effort, they may be more susceptible to attacks from the Islamist Hamas terrorists that control the area.
The Israel Guys: HAMAS Attacks U.S. Pier Building Effort in GAZA, and Tragic Attack in ISRAEL
Hamas attacks the site where US troops are building a pier to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza, we’ll get into the details and implications on that. Also an 18 year old girl was seriously wounded after a stabbing attack in Ramle, and we get into a miraculous escape in Jerusalem from earlier on this week.




What I learned about keeping a clean home from the Hamas massacre ruins
In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 devastation, there lies a profound lesson about the essence of home and the resilience of its inhabitants. My recent trip to Kfar Aza, a small community in southern Israel, revealed the aftermath of the destruction and the deeply personal stories embedded within the remnants of shattered homes. Amid the rubble, I found a poignant revelation about the balance between infusing one’s home with personality while keeping clutter at bay.

Kfar Aza, like many nearby areas, has faced numerous challenges due to its location near unstable borders. What struck me most during my visit wasn’t just the physical damage but the poignant reminders of lives shattered seen in the personal items strewn amid the ruins. Walking through the streets, I noticed belongings like toys, photos, and books, each telling a story of the lives once lived there.

Despite the destruction, there was a strong sense of humanity, resilience, and hope amid the chaos. In those moments, I couldn’t help but reflect on the concept of home and what truly makes a meaningful one.

What makes a home meaningful
Our homes are more than just structures; they are reflections of our identities, storehouses of our memories, and expressions of our personalities. Yet, there is a delicate balance between infusing our spaces with character and succumbing to the tyranny of clutter. Despite the conflict’s toll, each home I visited in Kfar Aza carried a distinct sense of authenticity and individuality. Each carefully selected item spoke volumes about the people who once lived there, serving as a reminder that our living spaces should reflect our essence rather than being cluttered with needless belongings.

In today’s world, where consumerism often guides our decisions and clutter threatens to engulf our living spaces, we are bombarded with messages encouraging us to acquire more, upgrade constantly, and keep up with ever-changing trends. However, amid this barrage of information, we risk losing sight of what truly matters – the essence of what makes a house a home.

A home should be filled with personality, not with material abundance. It should be a space curated intentionally, where each item serves a purpose and carries meaning. It’s about surrounding ourselves with things that bring us joy, inspire us, and reflect our values and experiences.

Leaving Kfar Aza, touched by the strength of its residents and the stories in its wreckage, I gained a deeper respect for the importance of home. It’s where we find comfort in life’s challenges, where our true selves are safe, and where our impact lasts even after we’re gone.


Hamas publishes video of hostages Omri Miran and Keith Siegel
Hamas published on Saturday a video of the hostages Keith Siegel (64) and Omri Miran (47).

The two hostages say the video was filmed two days ago. They also talk about not being able to celebrate Passover this year.

They also say that they saw the demonstrations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and called on the demonstrators to continue the protest.

Protestors in Tel Aviv called on the government to find alternative solutions, insisting that military pressure would not lead to the release of the hostages. "This concept has failed," demonstrators chanted in Tel Aviv on Saturday after the video's release.

Keith was abducted from his home in Kfar Aza together with his partner Aviva, who was released during the ceasefire in November.

Omri was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz in front of his family. His wife, Lishay Lavi, managed to tell him before he was abducted, "I love you, we are waiting for you, don't be a hero."

As soon as he was taken by the terrorists, his two-year-old daughter Roni tried to run after him and shouted, "I want my dad!"

Danny Miran, Omri's father, told KAN, "I am moved to tears; these are tears of happiness. I saw his beard. We promised that we would shave the beard together when he returned. I am crying all over. I am moved and crying to recognize my son. I haven't seen the video, just a picture of it. I hope they send it to me soon. This is what kills me - this is how a country behaves?"

His father added, "I am not interested, Rafah if they bring all the hostages home immediately, and it doesn't matter how they do it."

Danny also told N12 "He looks just as I thought he would: with a beard. He must not have brushed his teeth since the catastrophe. It is immensely painful. Physically, he looks excellent; I just hope that, mentally, he is still in good condition."

His brother, Nadav, told Walla, "It's exciting to see this picture. I'm glad he's alive, and I hope to see him home as soon as possible. He seems fine to me. Going out to fight Rafah will bring them faster. Less talk, more action."


Ben Shapiro: This Guy Is EVERYTHING Wrong With Generation Z
One of the Columbia protest organizers makes clear just how much he hates Jews; USC cancels its commencement out of fear of protesters; and the Supreme Court considers whether Donald Trump has presidential immunity.


Mark Levin: We have Hitler Youth on our college campuses



Pro-Palestine protesters removed by police from Nancy Pelosi speech at Oxford Union
Police were forced to remove two pro-Palestine protesters from the Oxford Union on Thursday after they hijacked a speech by Nancy Pelosi, the former US speaker of the House.

The pair of students waved Palestinian flags as they disrupted her address at the debating society shortly after 6pm.

The protesters were swiftly removed by Thames Valley Police and escorted out as the crowd inside the chamber applauded.

“The suffering of Gaza must stop,” Mrs Pelosi told the chamber.

“We want peace on both sides. Both sides must agree to it.”

The protesters wore T-shirts with the logo from Youth Demand, the Just Stop Oil-linked activist group which spray-painted the Labour party’s head office in central London with red paint earlier this month in protest against the war in Gaza.

Sharing a video for the protest on social media, Youth Demand said that “genocide-backing” Mrs Pelosi was “not welcome” at Oxford.

“Warmongers like Nancy Pelosi are not welcome on University campuses,” the activist group said.

“When children are being murdered, and hospitals are being bombed, we will not sit down and be quiet whilst these people are given platforms.

“We must stand up and take action, because we aren’t f---ing around anymore. Whilst Pelosi was inside, students of the University made their voices heard.”

The Democrat was visiting the university to attend events at the Oxford Union and OxfordSpeaks, an international relations society.

Earlier, a crowd of approximately 250 students had protested outside the Union, chanting “Israel is a terrorist state”, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, and “London to Gaza, long live the intifada”.
Moment pro-Gaza students harass Jacob
Rees-Mogg hurling vicious foul-mouthed abuse as they surround his car while waving Palestinian flags after he gives speech at Cardiff University
 Pro-Palestine students and activists harassed Jacob Rees-Mogg and hurled foul-mouthed abuse at him after speaking at Cardiff University.

Cardiff University's Conservative Society hosted the Tory MP on Friday for a speech.

But shocking footage posted on X/Twitter shows him being escorted by eight security guards to a campus vehicle as students surrounded him shouting shouting 'Tory c**t', 'shame on you' and 'Free Palestine' and waving Palestinian flags.

The students and activists, who were banging drums and shaking tambourines, were calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and shouted 'shame on you'.

Two people even attempted to get closer to the vehicle carrying the North East Somerset MP before being dragged backed back by security staff.

The protest was organised by Welsh Underground Network and Cardiff Communists, who claimed Mr Rees-Mogg was a 'zionist'.

They said: 'Mogg, and his ilk, are never welcome in Wales. No zionist politician should be able to walk our streets in peace, they shouldn't be able to open their mouths without being shouted down.'

Conservative Party Chairman Richard Holden, branded the protesters 'morons' and said: 'How silly of these morons - whatever they think their cause is, they do it a disservice I'm sure will have taken it in his stride but no elected politician should have to put up with this shrill intimidatory idiocy.'

Professor Caught on Camera Encouraging Violent Revolution to Columbia Students
Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report'' shares a DM clip of footage of CUNY professor and fired CNN contributor Marc Lamont Hill encouraging violence to the pro-Palestine protesters at Columbia University.




AOC Praises Columbia Protest Encampment After ‘Student Leader’ Said ‘Zionists Don’t Deserve To Live’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) visited the anti-Semitic protest encampment at Columbia University this week and praised its leadership, which comes after video went viral of one of the most vocal students in the protest saying earlier this year that “Zionists don’t deserve to live.”

Ocasio-Cortez traveled to the school on Friday where the demonstrations have generated national headlines for over a week.

“The leadership you have is so excellent,” Ocasio-Cortez told one of the activists. “It’s really special. It’s really amazing.”

The Daily Wire unearthed earlier this week that Khymani James, who CNN described as a “student protest leader,” openly stated in a live-stream of an official university inquiry in January that “Zionists don’t deserve to live.”

James, who was reportedly barred from campus late this week, had claimed in a statement posted to social media on Friday that he was the victim of “far right agitators” who he said posted his remarks on social media “without context.”

In a video stream from January, he made the case for Zionists to die several times and stated “Zionists don’t deserve to live.”

James said he made the comment because he was feeling “unusually upset after an online mob targeted me because I am visibly queer and Black.”


Progressive NY Rep. Jamaal Bowman duped by fake ‘Chief rabbi of Gaza’
Rep. Jamaal Bowman and his campaign were duped by the parody social-media account of the fake “Chief Rabbi of Gaza.”

The phony X account of “Rabbi Linda Goldstein” is infamous for spouting anti-Zionist vitriol to ensnare unsuspecting progressives unaware that it is satirical.

The rabbi messaged Bowman about sponsoring a fundraiser for his Democratic primary campaign.


Under Hamas rule Jews were not allowed in Gaza, and the only ones there now are hostages and IDF soldiers attempting to rescue them — something Bowman evidently didn’t pick up on when he began corresponding with the account.

Bowman, a member of the far-left House “Squad,” has become one of the most vocal critics of Israel and defenders of Hamas in Congress.

He is currently locked in a fierce primary battle with Westchester County Executive George Latimer, with polls suggesting Latimer could beat him badly.

“I really hope you win, I would love to host a fundraiser with you,” Goldstein messaged Bowman in a private X message on April 11. The message prompted a reply from the congressman’s account just 30 minutes later.

“Thank you, how do we get in touch with you?” Bowman asked. Goldstein promised Bowman she has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars before, adding “my anti-zionist community can’t wait to help.”

“Hi Rabbi, this is Bowman’s staff, we’ll have a member of our finance team follow up with you,” read another direct message from Bowman’s account, noting, “We’re grateful.”

Goldstein’s schtick as an over-the-top Palestinian-loving rabbi has won her a cult following.

“I’m organizing an aid convoy to the @Columbia campus,” Goldstein posted last week. “We need: Glamp Tents; Volunteer Baristas; Oat Milk; Keffiyeh’s; Canada Goose Jackets; and Also Leggings.”

In other tweets she has condemned Passover as Israeli “genocide” against Egyptians; and posed with photoshopped terrorists in front of a “Menorah for Justice” made of rockets.

She has urged Hamas fighters to practice social distancing in terror tunnels.


Met Police arrest Gaza protesters for racism and hate banner comparing Israel to the Nazis after force admitted Jewish people have been forced to avoid the Tube and hide their identities on demo days
A pro-Palestinian protester holding a banner comparing Israel to the Nazis and a demonstrator who hurled racist abuse at campaigners against anti-Semitism were two people arrested at a huge Gaza march today.

'Hundreds of thousands' marched through the streets of London in a series of protests today, some in support of a ceasefire in Gaza and others to call for an end to anti-Semitism.

An event organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) began at Parliament Square at 12pm, setting off at 12.30pm on a route via Whitehall, Piccadilly and Park Lane and then ending at Hyde Park, where speeches were given.

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was spotted among the crowds alongside First Minister of Northern Ireland and Vice President of Sinn Féin Michelle O'Neill.

The two pro-palestine politicians were pictured hugging near a large banner.

A counter protest by pro-Israeli groups against anti-Semitism was also held and overlapped in some places with the route of the pro-Palestinian march.

Some protesters on the counter-march reported being subject to antisemitic abuse as the marches crossed paths.

Reverend Hayley Ace who was on the Enough is Enough counter-protest, was misidentified as a Jew while wearing a Star of David cap and was told to 'F*** off to Poland', the Campaign Against Antisemitism reported.

Reverend Ace said: 'Obviously Poland is where the Nazis built most of their concentration camps for the extermination of Jews. Comments like those that I received are common on these marches. How can anyone pretend they are peaceful?'

According to CAA, some pro-Palestinian protesters carried placards promoting conspiracies including one that read 'Our media, TV, radio and Government are controlled by Zionists'.

Another poster showed the Statue of Liberty feeding an Israeli baby with blood, invoking the blood libel.


Israeli student detained by Border Force and anti-terror police after landing in Britain hits out at his 'disturbing' treatment - after guards at Manchester Airport were blasted for 'demeaning' two survivors of Hamas music festival massacre
A Jewish student has described how he was pulled aside by Border Force and anti-terror police after he landed in the UK and told them he had been on holiday to Israel.

Former Israeli Defence Force vet Neriya Ashwal, 28, was held for more than an hour by officials after flying into East Midlands airport from Barcelona where he is currently studying, for a short break.

It is the second time in a month that Israelis have been held by border officials and questioned by police after landing in Britain. In March two survivors from the Nova Music Festival were allegedly detained at Manchester airport for two hours.

Neriya was pulled aside after he was asked if he had visited Israel recently and when he said he had been to see friends and family last month he was pulled aside for questioning.

Posting on Facebook business studies student Neriya said:' Are you Israelis planning to fly to Britain? Think twice, especially if you are a veteran. You may be delayed in the field.

'So I had a weekend free from studying in Barcelona and Ryanair offered especially cheap flight tickets to the UK.

'Landed at 7am at a sleepy little airport outside Nottingham. Short bus from the plane to the terminal and passport inspection queue. Calm, in the process.

'When my turn comes, a nice policeman asks me the usual questions: where did you come from, why did you come, how long will you stay, etc.

'And then he looks again at the (Israeli) passport and asks: have you been to Israel lately?

Yes. Visiting family and friends 3 weeks ago.

'Hold on a min.' Calling someone, saying that he has an Israeli who has been to Israel recently.

'He nods at the phone, hangs up and asks me to sit and wait on the side. He has the passport.
‘It’s soul-destroying’: How a malevolent online campaign is targeting Jewish doctors in Ontario
Dox a doc a day.

As anti-Israel — often anti-Jew — protests violently roil campuses across America, a different campaign dripping with malevolence is specifically targeting Jewish physicians right here in Ontario.

There’s no fig-leaf of divestment from Israel, no camouflage exploiting the horrors experienced by civilians in Gaza. Rather, the doxing has been a directed, co-ordinated crusade aimed at physicians whose only “offence’’ is their Jewishness.

On social media and via pro forma emails sent to hospital administrators and leadership at teaching institutions, these doctors are being harassed, intimidated and professionally compromised. While part of the strategy is to victimize one particular doctor on a given day — lifting names of individuals who signed a letter last November under the banner of Doctors Against Racism and Antisemitism — the undertaking has spreader wider, become far more encompassing.

Of course most of the garbage is anonymous but on literally hundreds of occasions — letters and emails to MPs, for example — signatories of that DARA letter have been appropriated falsely as if they’re the ones demanding politicians take a harsher position on Israel’s military tactics.

“They’re prompting people to make complaints to their places of work, colleges and universities, hospitals, associations, faculty, the College of Physicians and Surgeons,’’ says Dr. Lisa Switzman. “This has been going on since the beginning of November in a systematic, co-ordinated way, with literally a Jewish doctor of the day.’’

Switzman, whose been involved with tracking the attacks, is uncertain how it all began or who triggered the onslaught. “Basically it was put out by someone who is very anti-Israel, saying these are terrible physicians who’ve signed this letter. All the letter said was that we support Israel and we’re Zionists. Being Jews and supporting Israel’s right to exist is really important to us.’’

Anonymous social media accounts joined the swarming on various platforms, postings that were recycled. “It incited very hateful, antisemitic attacks directly to doctors,’’ continues Switzman.

“What was especially upsetting is that they were targeting mainly female family physicians, probably because we’re seen as more vulnerable. At a time of a significant health-care crisis with family physicians, this put added stress on them. Many were quite distraught. Why would you do that to physicians who are saving lives and helping people?’’

The campaign became more heated after pro-Palestinian protesters convened outside Mount Sinai Hospital. “They posted form letters that auto-populated to many more people,” says Switzman. “Because all you have to do is click on it. But that incited other people to send hateful emails to doctors personally.’’

The doxing expanded to physicians who’d never signed the DARA letter.


Matthew Foldi: Columbia University Law Students Issue Demands of Their Own As Mob Rule Reigns
The chaos, insanity, and mob rule at Columbia University isn’t just limited to its undergraduate campus, it turns out — students at its law school, which costs just under $100,000 a year to attend, are demanding that all of their grades be pass/fail because “it is wrong to recognize academic achievement (no matter how deserved) at the expense of other students’ physical, emotional, and mental well being.”

This week, Columbia Law School’s student government sent campus administrators a list of demands that includes the “adoption of a mandatory pass/fail grading system” in the name of “equity” and “well-being,” which they repeatedly misspell in an open letter with enough grammar errors to embarrass even fake lawyers in shows like "Suits."

In the petition itself, which was signed by a number of students, they demand that Columbia “take immediate action to make all law school exams pass/fail, in light of the extraordinary circumstances our student body is facing.” Never mind that the circumstances confronting Columbia are being caused by the radical jihadists that would ostensibly align with these demands. Students who are in law school to learn, and not be arrested, presumably do not want their grades to be pass/fail.

While one Columbia student anonymously wrote that they “cannot study for more than 20 mins straight with everything going on…,” a push for exclusively pass/fail grades would likely do more harm than good for the long-term prospects of Columbia grads. As merely the eighth-best law school in America, according to U.S. News and World Report’s highly problematic, yet prestigious rankings, Columbia needs every way for its students to compete against more prestigious diploma mills, like Yale – which is tied for number one.

Unbeknownst to most outside of higher education, Yale Law School does not award letter grades, like Columbia normally does; instead, its grades are scaled from honors to no credit given. If Columbia switches to universal pass/fail, how will its alums be able to stand apart from their counterparts at other pass/fail schools, like Yale? Grades, it turns out, actually matter–yet, for the sake of supporting another intifada, Columbia activists are trying to sacrifice their futures and those of their classmates.

Just how chaotic is Columbia’s campus right now? Dore Feith, a current law student, described the scene thusly: “The new ‘Liberated Zone’ is a vortex of Jew-hatred, drawing not just Columbia students but outside actors. They scream for Israel’s destruction, banging drums and chanting loudly to celebrate jihadist terrorism. One student threatened that pro-Israel students were going to be Hamas’s ‘next targets.’”

The problems, it turns out, go well beyond Khymani James, the undergraduate activist who infamously said that “Zionists don’t deserve to live.” Feith continues in his saga about how “another activist, face wrapped in a keffiyeh, waved a photo of Hamas’s flag. Crowds on campus have been chanting ‘Oh Hamas, oh loved one, strike, strike Tel Aviv!’...A visibly Jewish student was assaulted on campus. No police could help him, because Columbia’s administration has refused to allow the NYPD to reenter campus since the arrests last Thursday. When the police were on campus that day, radical students called the officers 'baby killers' and told them to kill themselves.”
Anti-Israel radicals share guide for taking over university buildings
A Big Apple anti-Israel group blasted out a how-to guide to seizing buildings as protests rocked universities in Manhattan.

Days after cops arrested over 100 Columbia University students and cleared a large anti-Israel encampment at its upper Manhattan campus, The Peoples Park radicals posted “The Do-It-Yourself Occupation Guide” on its Instagram account, which has 2,300 followers.

“We are sharing educational-only materials on tactical skills like holding down occupations *inside* of university buildings,” read the post, originally penned by the group Palestine Action US, which featured the hashtag “EscalateForGaza.”

The 32-page booklet details tips for breaking into abandoned and commercial buildings; diagrams and step-by-step guides for barricading doors; and advice for how to maintain control of an occupied space.

When “less-destructive methods [for entering a space] don’t work, more aggressive options are abundant. Use a crowbar to open a window. Cheap Milgard latches and latches on older aluminum windows often break in place,” the guide suggests.

It also included tips for how to create shields out of trash cans for protesters to defend themselves during a march onto a property, and advice for handling different alarm systems.

“We look ahead to when we enter the buildings, take over the streets, and occupy the city,” the text reads.


Yale professor accuses Columbia prez Shafik of plagiarism, ‘intellectual theft’ in resurfaced 1994 research paper
Embattled Columbia University president Nemat “Minouche” Shafik screwed a former underling out of credit on a research paper published 30 years ago, a Yale University professor claims.

Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak posted the bombshell allegations in a blistering thread on X early Friday, juxtaposing images of a 1992 report Shafik co-authored for World Bank with researcher Sushenjit Bandyopadhyay, along with a journal published in Oxford Economic Papers two years later in which Bandyopadhyay’s name was removed.

Mobarak, an economics and management professor at Yale, told The Post the findings and research cited in both papers are pretty much equal.

“It got rewritten, but fundamentally it’s the same paper,” he alleged.

“We can’t get in the room and [learn] what sentences did he write and what sentences she wrote, but what we do know is his contribution was sufficient to warrant co-authorship [in 1992],” he added. “What is not common is for someone to be a co-author and then suddenly their name is taken off.”

Instead, Bandyopadhyay is only “thanked” in an acknowledgement section in the back of the 1994 published journal — which screams of “power asymmetry” considering Shafik was then Bandyopadhyay’s boss, alleged Mobarak.


NY AG Letitia James condemns Columbia encampment — even as she makes tens of thousands from university
State Attorney General Letitia James offered sharp criticism of Columbia University’s anti-Israel student encampment this week — even as she pockets tens of thousands of dollars as a member of the university faculty.

“The events that have occurred at Columbia University have been deeply concerning and painful for many,” James said in a statement. “When peaceful protest devolves into hate and antisemitic violence, the line is crossed and will not be tolerated. My office is monitoring the situation closely.”

James has served as the William S. Beinecke Visiting Professor of Public Policy in the Faculty of International and Public Affairs since 2021, according to her faculty bio.

Her class, “Public Management Innovation,” is part of the Executive MPA program for graduate students.

James co-teaches with William Eimicke, a veteran of Gov. Mario Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg’s administrations.

Her office noted the New York Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government had given her the green light to teach the class.
Model-turned DEI manager is fired by university for posing in front of Israeli flag emblazoned with swastikas - and is now suing over claims her free speech rights were violated
A model-turned DEI manager who was fired because she posed in front of an Israeli flag emblazoned with swastikas is now suing because her First Amendment rights were 'violated'.

Mashal Sherzad, 29, was fired from her position as the diversity, equity and inclusion manager at the University of Minnesota because of now seemingly deleted pictures that she accidentally uploaded onto her public social media of her posing in front of the controversial flag.

Sherzad, who identified as Muslim, and who is in a relationship with a woman, began her role in October, 2023, and travelled to Barcelona to attend a pro-Palestinian rally just two months later. She shared pictures of herself from the rally - including snaps of her posing in front of the swastika-embezzled Israeli flag.

She was removed from her DEI manager job for the university's School of Public Health on January 16 after the Dean, Melinda Pettigrew, said her employment would create a 'real risk of significant disruption.'

Sherzad has since filed a lawsuit against the school for violating First Amendment right to free speech - along with claims of discrimination.
Jewish GWU student whose grandparents survived the Holocaust is 'terrified' of anti-Israel protestor's haunting Nazi 'final solution' poster and demands action to clear 'dangerous' pro-Hamas activists from campus
As hundreds gathered at George Washington University to participate in anti-Israel protests Friday afternoon Jewish students told DailyMail.com they have felt afraid, adding that the university is 'accommodating' the 'pro-Hamas' activists.

The demonstrations on campus have been going off and on since the October 7 attack, but recently students - taking a page out of Columbia University protestors' playbook - have established a pro-Gaza encampment that has yet to be taken down.

Protestors set up the encampment early Thursday morning and hundreds later joined in on the demonstrations.

And despite the university demanding the camp be disbanded by 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening, the tents and their occupants still stood in defiance by late Friday afternoon.

One protestor at George Washington University (GWU) Thursday was even seen carrying a sign calling for the 'final solution,' which was Adolph Hitler's plan for the 'annihilation' of Jewish individuals.

'To hear people calling for more violence makes me really afraid to come out of my house out of fear that someone's going to hurt me or do something to me,' Skyler Sieradzky, a Jewish GWU student, told DailyMail.com at Friday's protest.

'As someone whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors, seeing people using the Holocaust as something that we should be striving towards again, it makes me very sad and very scared.'

Sieradzky was one of a few counter-protestors who arrived to support Israel amid calls for its annihilation at GWU Friday.

She draped her self in an Israeli flag, which earned her some disdain and dirty looks from pro-Gaza demonstrators.

'It's very scary to see signs calling for the extermination of the state of Israel, calling for another intifada,' Sieradzky said. 'In the second intifada one of my family members was killed in a suicide bombing.'


WATCH: Jewish Law Student, October 7 Hamas Attack Survivor, Spit On at University of Texas Protest
Seth Greenwald, who hopes to graduate in May from the University of Texas School of Law, is a fortunate survivor of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Greenwald described his experience in Israel during the horrific attack that claimed the lives of nearly 1,200 people in Israel. During a video interview, Greenwald told Breitbart Texas he was spat on twice and told to “go back to Poland” during a pro-Palestine demonstration on the university’s campus earlier this week.

In the video, Greenwald described seeking shelter as thousands of rockets were launched by Hamas toward Israel early on October 7. He quickly noted his experiences were not as severe as those of friends he had who attended the Nova music festival. Greenwald says several stabbings occurred near his home, but he was fortunate to survive the attack.

During the pro-Palestine protest organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee on Thursday afternoon, Greenwald spoke about the lack of civility towards Jewish students at the University of Texas campus a day earlier. After an order to disperse given by campus officials was ignored, nearly 60 protesters were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing. According to school officials, roughly half of the pro-Palestine protesters were not students at the university. According to Delia Garza, Travis County attorney, most of the criminal cases were dismissed on Thursday for deficiencies in probable cause affidavits.

When asked, Greenwald stated he was not satisfied with the response from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other Antisemitic organizations to demonstrations occurring on college campuses across the country. Greenwald says more needs to be done.

Although tensions remained high between the group of Palestinian supporters and several dozen counter-protesters like Greenwald, who were there to support Israel, interactions between the two groups and campus law enforcement officers were much more subdued than on the first day of protests.


Exposing the antisemitic poison on Western universities (ft. Miles McInnes)
While the students at Columbia University weren't very talkative at the anti-Israel encampment, Gavin McInnes and his brother (or alter ego?), Miles McInnes, weighed in on the demonstration.




Al Jazeera helps Hamas and can't be trusted for reporting on Israel
When Al Jazeera first opened its bureau in Jerusalem’s technological park 18 years ago, I enjoyed the novelty of getting interviewed on the Qatari network.

Their interviewers were never particularly fair, but that made it more of a challenge and more gratifying than a typical interview with Fox News or a speech to AIPAC or the Jewish National Fund.

I hoped that by presenting Israel’s side to the Arab and Muslim world, I was making a difference. If the rest of the panel, the host, and the callers were all Arabs – as often happened – proving them all wrong made me feel like an underdog boxer who had won against all odds.

Full disclosure: Al Jazeera, unlike CNN and most news networks, provides a stipend for interviews, and I have therefore been paid by the same Qatari government that funds the Hamas terrorists who are trying to kill me and my loved ones right now. I never turned the money down, but I swear I would have done it for free.

When Israeli governments chose to boycott Al Jazeera, I still kept interviewing there more than any other network and connecting the network’s Jerusalem- and Doha-based producers to Israelis from across the political spectrum who presented different sides within Israeli democracy.

I insisted on explaining news developments in Israel without taking any side in internal Israeli political debates or taking a side on the Israeli government’s policies.

No matter how many times my words were twisted or my time to speak on a panel was limited unjustly, I never felt particularly guilty about my years of cooperation with Al Jazeera.

Until this war.


BBC has turned into modern day Joseph Goebbels
My intuitive guess supported by years of research is that rabid anti-Jewish state bias morphing into true Jew hatred really began with the era of the Dimbleby brothers or thereabouts. How perverse that the sons of the morally decent Richard Dimbleby who was the first British correspondent working for the BBC to witness the horrors inflicted on Jews in the concentration camps should be the ones who, probably, knowingly facilitated antisemitism within the BBC. Even more perverse is during their reign their BBC propaganda output ignored several genocides in Africa including Rwanda.

Their father must be turning in his grave watching from heaven the garbage output produced by those reared from his loins. We thought we had persuaded them, the BBC, to take seriously our concerns on Jew hatred and they did indeed request an independent journalist to investigate which he did in 2004. The results of the investigation, the Balen Report, have never been made public despite several legal attempts and costing the taxpayer millions of pounds in efforts to stall publication. The organization despite huge legal costs, hundreds of thousands of man hours, meetings with lawyers, internal news staff and pressure groups have successfully weathered the pressure and obstructed exposure of the report to those who fund the organization. Since then the problem has multiplied and is now beyond control let alone repair.

Jew hatred within the BBC foreign, domestic and regional news outlets and related output is now so ingrained within the BBC that news staff would not be employed if they were not the subservient, sycophantic stooges required by the organization to continually promote the biased agenda. Jew hatred runs deep within the veins of BBC news verified by decades of totally, distorted, dishonest and disproportionate negative coverage concentrated on the only Jewish state in the world, the nation state of Israel.

Watching programs such as Question Time hosted by David Dimbleby and Any Questions (the BBC radio equivalent) hosted by his brother Jonathan for thirty plus years it was obviously apparent that the BBC news editors and their program hosts created and knowingly facilitated an agenda designed to promote hostility to Israel.

The stooge audiences, the ideology of the guests, the designed questions and the unbalanced concentration on the subject of Israel created unsubtle propaganda which further indoctrinated an intellectually imbecilic mob orgasmically feeding themselves on the vomit spewed by the vast majority of invited guests and audience alike.

A similar agenda was regularly provided by other BBC news channels, TV, radio and online. Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels knew only too well that if you told lies enough times to an illiterate audience, the mythology would become facts. The BBC unsurprisingly and without any subtlety still promotes the Goebbels methodology – telling lies, promoting false narratives and propaganda to its taxpaying audience continuously and unchallenged. The audience is influenced, indoctrinated and believes. And hence Jew hatred flourished and continues to flourish.


Olympics chief says Palestinian athletes to compete in Paris even if they don’t qualify
Between six and eight Palestinian athletes are expected to compete at the Paris Olympics, with some set to be invited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) even if they fail to qualify, its head Thomas Bach said.

Bach told AFP on Friday that qualification events for the Paris Games, which start on July 26, were ongoing for a number of sports.

“But we have made the clear commitment that even if no [Palestinian] athlete would qualify on the field of play… then the NOC [National Olympic Committee] of Palestine would benefit from invitations, like other national Olympic Committees who do not have a qualified athlete,” he said in an interview at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

He said he expected the Palestinian delegation to number “six to eight.”

Bach said that the International Olympic Committee “from day one of the conflict” in Gaza had “supported in many different ways the athletes to allow them to take part in qualifications and to continue their training.”


The Rise of the ‘Survivors’
If the undergraduates in my “Postwar Jewish Experience” seminar are any indication, and I believe they are, a startlingly large percentage of young American Jews are taken aback to learn of the liminal space of the displaced persons camp. From what they’ve been taught (or, more to the point, not taught), it’s almost as if what remained of European Jewry made one big and speedy leap from the hellishness of the Shoah to tilling the soil in Israel or adjusting to life in the New World.

This gap, as much a historical as a linguistic phenomenon, shortchanges opportunities to deepen our understanding of the means by which the Jewish polity reconstituted itself in the face of insurmountable odds, highlighting the role of resilience at the grassroots and with it, the extraordinary efforts of the Joint Distribution Committee, ORT, and the Jewish Cultural Reconstruction Inc., among other Jewish communal NGOs, as agents of regeneration.

At war’s end, an archipelago of hastily built or repurposed facilities, among them former concentration camps and Nazi youth summer camps, housed an estimated 1 million people left homeless. Though not all displaced persons were Jews, all surviving Jews were displaced persons, consigned by nationality to live among their tormentors. Once this and other untenable conditions came to light, a consequence of the harrowing revelations of the 1946 Harrison Report detailing the abysmal physical environment in which Jewish victims of the war unwittingly found themselves, they were relocated to displaced persons camps populated entirely by their own kind. Between 1946 and 1951, Jewish DPs lived among their own kind, anxiously awaiting their collective fate. Since returning home was no longer an option, and the nations of the world remained inhospitable, to put it mildly, where, oh, where were they to go? What “exit options” were at hand?

While in limbo, Jewish displaced persons actively documented what had happened to them, married, had babies—in 1946, the Jewish DP camps were said to have the highest birth rate in the world—put their faith in Zionism, made themselves heard, and planted themselves in the world.

When the history of the displaced persons camps, then, is fully acknowledged and taken into account, the factors that made for the elevation of the term “survivor” become clearer still. Ultimately, its claim to fame rests on the difference between a name conferred, even thrust upon, a population, and one generated from within; between a form of classification and an expression of identity. Where she’erit ha-peletah, lebn-geblibene, and “survivor” were of the Jews’ own devising, the label “displaced person” was not—at least not until 2001, when Joseph Berger of The New York Times published Displaced Persons: Growing Up American After the Holocaust, his poignant, textured, coming-of-age memoir as the son of Rachel and Marcus. By situating that designation within the context of the New World rather than the Old, he reclaimed it as his own. Until then, “displaced persons” functioned as a stigma, rather than a salute. “DP. We hated that word,” Benjamin Harshav recalled. “We were never anybody’s displaced persons … DP was a label, a category for bureaucrats.”

“Survivor,” on the other hand, was all theirs. It had their name on it.
Murder and rape in the dunes of pre-state Israel: The story of a hike turned horror
It was to be a two- or three-day hike from Tel Aviv to Herzliya. But they never finished their trek.

They were friends and perhaps wanted to become lovers. They also loved the Land of Israel and set out to walk through it. Tragically, their walk was horrifyingly interrupted.

Yochanan Stahl was born in 1908 in Germany and was orphaned from his mother in 1925. His high school education was in an agricultural school at Ladenburg, east of Mannheim, and he joined a socialist-Zionist youth movement. He applied and received an immigration certificate for Mandate Palestine and arrived in late 1929, despite family opposition and leaving behind a girlfriend, Anna.

Stahl first worked at Kibbutz Beit Zera, and then Kibbutz Sarid in the Jezreel Valley but, in December 1930 moved on to Givat Brenner and worked in the orange groves near Rehovot. A relative described him as not that tall, curly haired, with blue eyes.

Celia/Sarah Zohar (Zonnenshein) was born in Chodorów, southeast of Lviv – then Galicia – in 1902. At the outbreak of World War I, the family moved to Vienna. Her brother was Dr. Zvi Zohar, a founder of Hashomer Hatzair, the Tarbut Hebrew school system, and Shomriya, the educational institution at Mishmar Ha’emek. She also joined a Zionist youth movement and studied pediatric nursing.

Zohar made aliyah in 1928, first working at the Ben Shemen Youth Village and then moving to Sarid, just west of Migdal Ha’emek and south of Nahalal. Prof. Ezra Sohar, her nephew, recalled that Celia and Yochanan met at Sarid.

While Celia was on a family visit to Poland, Yochanan wrote to her that he had found a spot some “30 meters high; to my right Sidna-Ali, to my left Jelil village [today, south of the Dan Accadia Hotel], behind me Herzliya and before me – the sea. I promise that when you return, we’ll hike to this place.”




Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!

 

 

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April Gaza health ministry statistics that the media is not telling you

April 28, 2024, 2:45 am
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The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has now issued its count of casualty statistics for up to April 25.

If you compare those statistics with those from March 31, you see that  more than half the reported 2,732 deaths this month are military aged males - who take up far less than 25% of Gaza's population.

Chances are that the vast majority of them are members of armed terrorist groups.

The self-reporting mechanism from families of "martyrs," which the ministry seems to cross check for accuracy, show that 56% of those reported under that system are military age males.

There are other notable statistics that the media somehow manages to avoid mentioning.

You remember the many stories about Gaza children supposedly dying of starvation and malnutrition? At the end of March, the health ministry counted 28 of them.

All month we were told that Israel is not allowing sufficient food into Gaza, especially the north, and mass starvation is imminent. But today, the count of those who died from starvation remains the same: 28. 

It isn't quite a famine when there are no victims.

One other statistic published that media and NGOs are curiously uncurious about: nearly half the patients who are requested to get treatment in Egypt or abroad are rejected, apparently by Egypt.

It is fascinating to see so starkly that reporters and "human rights" organizations lose all interest in Gaza's statistics when they make Israel look good, or make Egypt look bad.



Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!

 

 

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Abbas tells at World Economic Forum that Israel is worse than Nazis

April 28, 2024, 5:19 am
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Mahmoud Abbas addressed the World Economic Forum meeting today in Riyadh.

During his speech, spoken while sitting in the audience for some reason, he said that what Israel is doing in Gaza is worse than anything that happened in World War II:

Borrell said a few days ago that what is happening in Gaza has never happened not even in the Second World War in Germany. Others have confirmed and have acknowledged that what is happening today in Gaza and in the West Bank has exceeded what took place in the second world war in Germany and in other European countries.
Abbas is misrepresenting what Borrell said in December, when he compared Israel's airstrikes in Gaza to Allied airstrikes in Germany during World War II, saying that proportionally Gaza had more destruction.  

That is true. Germany is a lot bigger than Gaza and there are plenty of areas in Germany that would not have been legal military targets. In Gaza, Hamas ensured that nearly all civilian areas in Gaza host terrorists, weapons caches or are above Hamas tunnels. 

But that is not what Abbas is telling the world. He is deliberately implying that experts are calling Israel worse than the Nazis. 

Which is blatant antisemitism. 


Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!

 

 

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