Friday, January 03, 2025

01/03 Links Pt2: The ISIS Threat Never Left; When Ireland Became ‘Paddystine’; Documentary about Nova music festival massacre nominated for PGA award

From Ian:

The ISIS Threat Never Left
Terrorist movements wax strong when they believe that history is on their side. And there is no better way to rid the terrorists of that notion than to deny them haven and reduce their leaders to ash.

America forgot this lesson. Our leaders reduced commitments in Iraq and Syria. Federal law enforcement shifted its attention to domestic extremism and white nationalism. Worst of all, President Biden beat a hasty retreat from Afghanistan that left 13 U.S. servicemen killed, U.S. citizens and visa-holders stranded, Afghan allies abandoned, the Afghan people in hock to a jihadist militia that calls itself a government, and Afghanistan's ungoverned spaces in the hands of ISIS.

At the time, Biden pledged continued surveillance of the enemy, "over-the-horizon" military capabilities, and support for Afghan women and girls. None of this was true. Retired general Frank McKenzie, former CENTCOM commander, said last spring that "in Afghanistan, we have almost no ability to see into that country and almost no ability to strike into that country." The Taliban resumed public executions, imposed dress and behavioral codes on women, and deprived girls of schooling. The other day, the Taliban said it would shutter NGOs that employ women.

Consider the contrast between Israel and the United States. Israel possesses the will to strike its enemies, establish facts on the ground favorable to its security, and restore deterrence in a dangerous neighborhood. The United States, meanwhile, has been tossed about by a whirlwind of events that it believes are beyond its control: an open southern border, a passive-aggressive desire to renew the nuclear agreement with Iran, disaster in Afghanistan, war between Russia and Ukraine that is lessening weapons stockpiles, virulent anti-Semitism on campuses and in city streets, and long-running operations against the Houthis that have led nowhere. This aimlessness and passivity create openings for terrorists. It gives them the sense of impending victory.

I am not arguing that we re-invade Afghanistan tomorrow. Nor am I saying that a more assertive U.S. foreign policy would end every threat to the homeland. My argument is that the way to reduce the ISIS threat, foreign and domestic, is to take the fight to the evildoers. Don't pretend jihadists can be left to their own devices. Put them on the defensive. Thin out their ranks, dry up their finances, keep them on the run. Then ISIS's ability to inspire will wane. And justice will be done for the people of New Orleans.
Global rise in antisemitism leaves Jewish community isolated, rabbi says world at 'a tipping point'
The escalation of antisemitism in the wake of the Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 terror massacre in Israel has paved the way for attacks on Jewish communities around the world. For the duration of the past year, schools, community centers and houses of worship have faced threats, intimidation and physical violence.

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, the executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, told Fox News Digital that throughout 2024, the "level of presumed security" the American Jewish community has lived with has shifted. "That’s difficult, when you have a place that you call home, and suddenly you don’t feel so at home." With the environment of "rolling antisemitism" in the U.S. becoming "an accepted part of daily life," Hauer said the issue "is still looked at as a problem for Jewish people as opposed to a stain on society."

The suddenness of the shift has been striking, Hauer said. "It was like we were a source of darkness," he explained. "All those who we stood shoulder-to-shoulder with to fight for their needs and to fight for their rights suddenly don’t recognize us, so that’s jarring."

The Anti-Defamation League tallied over 10,000 antisemitic incidents between Oct. 7, 2023 and Oct. 6, 2024, up from 3,325 during the prior year and representing the highest annual total the group has counted. They include over 8,000 incidents of harassment, 150 physical assaults and 1,840 acts of vandalism. Combined, more than half of these incidents took place at anti-Israel rallies (over 3,000) or at Jewish institutions (over 2,000).

Some politicians and the United Nations (U.N.) have stoked domestic anti-Israel hate. In January, the Chicago City Council passed a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza without also calling for the disarmament of Hamas, drawing wide condemnation from Jewish community leaders.

Despite multiple U.S. officials and the State Department condemning her spread of antisemitism, U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese visited numerous U.S. campuses in October while presenting her latest report before the U.N. General Assembly. During a stop at Barnard College, Albanese "described Israel’s war in Gaza as a ‘genocide,’ justified the October 7 attack, and questioned Israel’s right to exist," the Times of Israel reported.

Hatred that had been percolating on university campuses took new shape when anti-Israel encampments sprung up at learning institutions countrywide during the spring. During some encampment protests, Jewish students were excluded from their own campus spaces.

Terror flags have been flown on U.S. streets and campuses during anti-Israel protests. School administrators and business leaders who have angered anti-Israel protesters have had their homes and institutions tagged with the inverted red triangle that Hamas uses to denote military targets. In July, protesters replaced the American flag with the Palestinian flag in Washington, D.C., and wrote "Hamas is coming" on a statue of Christopher Columbus.
A Jimmy Carter surprise: He hated Jews, not just Israel Remembrances of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, should keep in mind how America’s 39th president profoundly damaged the Jewish state, especially with his deceitful 2006 book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.

But the story of Carter’s attitude towards Israel goes deeper. He was not simply a modern-day anti-Zionist—an ignorant idealogue who wrongly believed that Israeli counter-terrorism policies harmed the “human rights” of the Palestinian people. Carter was, in fact, a traditional, old-fashioned Christian antisemite.

We know this because his many post-presidential activities included teaching Sunday school. In 2007, Simon & Schuster released a 13-disc CD boxed set of recorded sermons that Carter gave at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Ga., called “Sunday Mornings in Plains.”

The sermons contain a slew of chillingly pre-modern antisemitic prejudices. For example, he claimed that Judaism teaches Jews to feel superior to non-Jews, that Jewish religious practices are a sleazy “trick” to enhance personal wealth, and that current Israeli policy towards Palestinians is based upon these “Jewish” values and practices.

In the sermons recorded between 1998 and 2003, Carter attacked Israel by retreading antisemitic tropes dating back to the gospels and patristic writings of the early church. These anti-Judaic beliefs were formulated not in the 1960s or 1970s but between the first and fifth centuries C.E., ensuring well over a millennium of institutional, lethal Christian antisemitism.

Speaking of Jews’ supposed air of “superiority” to non-Jews, the former president said in one lecture, “ … [T]his morning I’m gonna’ be trying to relate the assigned Bible lesson to us in the Uniformed Series with how that affected Israel, and how it affects us through Christ personally. … It’s hard for us to even visualize the prejudice against gentiles when Christ came on earth. If a Jew married a gentile, that person was considered to be dead. … How would you characterize from a Jew’s point of view the uncircumcised? Nonbeliever? And what? Unclean, what? They called them ‘dogs!’ That’s true. …What was Paul’s feeling toward gentiles in his early life [before his conversion] … ? Anybody? Absolute commitment to persecution! To the imprisonment and even the execution of non-Jews who now professed faith in Jesus Christ. … We know the differences in the Middle East. But the differences there are between Jews on the one hand, who comprise the dominating force both militarily and also politically, and the Palestinians, who are both Muslim and Christians.” When Ireland Became ‘Paddystine’
Higgins charged the Mossad for leaking his “fawning letter of congratulations” to Iran’s new president, but it was the Iranians themselves, not the Israelis, who had made his letter public. Informed of this, he did not admit to his mistake, much less apologize to the Israelis for his initial claim. Higgins also makes preposterous claims about Israeli expansionism. When he received the new ambassador of “Palestine,” he claimed that in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt Israel was aggressively assaulting those countries’ sovereignty, presumably meaning that the Zionists hope to enlarge Israel so that it extends “from the Nile to the Euphrates.” This is an old chestnut among the world’s antisemites.

In reality, the aggression is all coming from Hezbollah, and now many Lebanese, not just the Christians and Sunnis, but even many Shia, are tired of Hezbollah’s continuing war against Israel that has led to so much destruction, not only in southern Lebanon between the Litani River and the Israeli border, but elsewhere as well — especially in southern Beirut, most of which has been leveled by Israeli airstrikes. And Hezbollah has also been responsible for other destruction that did not involve Israel. Think of the “Beirut blast” of August 4, 2020, that resulted from Hezbollah’s faulty storage of ammonium nitrates in a hangar at the Port of Beirut. That huge explosion — the largest non-nuclear explosion in history — caused 218 deaths, 6000 wounded, and $15 billon in damages. Lebanon has only suffered from Hezbollah’s dominance, its killing of so many of its political enemies, including Rafik Hariri, Samir Kassir, George Hawi, Gebran Tueni, Pierre Amine Gemayel, and Walid Edo.


Jonathan Tobin: Connect dots between New Orleans and support for anti-Israel terror
Politicizing justice
In the last four years, the Biden administration has sought to raise awareness about domestic terrorism. However, it did so in such a way as to avoid mentioning Islamists—something that would antagonize Muslims and left-wing groups that had embraced the misleading narrative about Islamophobia and the demonization of Israel.

Instead of worrying about mosques and imams throughout the country that spread hate or the way that CAIR sought to prevent scrutiny of such behavior, the Biden administration was focused on treating its conservative political opponents as terrorists.

Under the leadership of Attorney General Merrick Garland, the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI devoted a disproportionate amount of their resources to investigating dissent against liberal orthodoxies. In this way, it was opponents of abortion, parents who protested against school boards allowing divisive teachings about critical race theory and other toxic ideas into local schools and those who challenged the 2020 election results who were labeled as constituting the primary threat from domestic terrorism.

This was a dangerous misuse of federal power. Treating partisan disagreement as an imminent threat of terrorism politicized the justice system. It also distracted law-enforcement officials who were already more worried about being labeled Islamophobic than in scrutinizing genuine extremists from the Islamist threat. This also helped to divert Americans from the growing support for anti-Israel terror that manifested itself in the wake of Oct. 7.

The belief that the long-running war against the one Jewish state on the planet is entirely separate from Islamist threats against the United States is a myth. To Iran, which is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, as well as the remnants of ISIS and Al-Qaeda, coupled with groups that have attempted to follow in their footsteps, Israel is the little Satan and America the great Satan.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly claimed that the views of Hamas apologists were legitimate and deserve to be heard. Their blatantly political motive for taking this stand is a testament to the strength of the intersectional and increasingly antisemitic left-wing of the Democratic Party.

Considering all threats seriously
It takes a prodigious leap of faith to accept the notion that the antisemitic protests on campuses that seek to legitimize Islamist terror against Israelis won’t eventually morph into support for violence against Jews and others in the United States. It has, after all, happened before, when leftist anti-war groups split into violent and non-violent factions in the 1960s. The mainstreaming of radical ideologies, in addition to antisemitic narratives and smears, such as has been seen in the last 15 months, creates an atmosphere in which “lone wolf” supporters of ISIS and other terrorists may feel justified in taking the leap from sympathy for violent extremism to doing it themselves.

With so much of the media and law enforcement unwilling to take the risk of being falsely tarred with the Islamophobia label, it will be easy for Americans to move on from the New Orleans attack without drawing any conclusions about it. But efforts to keep tabs on a Hamas support network that has already exhibited a willingness to use violence and intimidation to get its way ought to be a priority for the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. That should involve a policy of defunding institutions that turn a blind eye to antisemitism and deporting foreign students who are advocates of terror.

If that happens, expect it to be attacked as Islamophobic and xenophobic, and for unfairly targeting Muslims and “critics” of Israel. But sensible persons will understand that the New Orleans massacre is a wake-up call. The threat that a chorus of support for hatred and violence could lead to Islamist terror in the United States is something that a rational government can’t ignore.
Josh Hammer: Bourbon Street Massacre Is What 'Globalize the Intifada' Looks Like
While Jabbar's full radicalization story is not yet known, we do know he was active in a Houston mosque called Masjid Bilal. Following the Big Easy massacre of one of their congregants, the mosque took to social media to instruct its members not to respond to the FBI if approached, and to instead direct all inquiries to CAIR. That would be the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which was once described by an FBI counterterrorism chief as a "front organization for Hamas that engages in propaganda for Islamic militants." In 2007, CAIR was listed by the FBI as an unindicted co-conspirator during the case against the Holy Land Foundation—the largest terror financing prosecution in Department of Justice history.

But hey, at least Islam is an "oppressed" religion, right?

For many years, political elites deluded themselves into thinking that the existential threat posed by radical Islamic jihad was somehow limited or contained. Leaders became overconfident after the (long-overdue) assassination of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and the successful campaign against ISIS a few years later. As for Hamas and Hezbollah? Israel's problem, not ours! (Perhaps we might consider asking the families of the victims of Hezbollah's 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut for their thoughts on that.)

Elites, in short, convinced themselves that radical Islam was no longer a major problem. They deemed it far more pressing to focus on the "domestic terror threat" posed by Christian grandmothers praying outside abortion clinics—or parents speaking up at school board meetings about racial and gender indoctrination in their children's schools. As for the U.S.-Mexico border, which the 9/11 Commission strenuously recommended we secure in its final report over two decades ago? Fling it wide open, baby! What could possibly go wrong?

Well, New Orleans—that's what could go wrong. And tragically, that's what will continue to go wrong until this nation once again seals its porous borders and once again becomes serious about confronting the jihadist threat. Perhaps Israel—home of the exploding Hezbollah pagers—might even share some advice, if anyone here cares to ask.
Two Israeli men remain hospitalized in New Orleans after terrorist attack
Two Israeli men in their mid-20s remain hospitalized — one in critical condition — after a driver intentionally rammed a pickup truck into a crowd during New Year’s celebrations on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring at least 30 in Wednesday’s terror attack.

Both men were tourists from Israel, traveling through several American cities and expecting to end their jaunt in Florida, according to Elad Shoshan, consul of Israel to the Southwest United States. “They wanted to do New Year’s Eve in New Orleans,” Shoshan, who is currently visiting the men in a local hospital — and awaiting the Friday morning arrival of their family members — told Jewish Insider. “Obviously, it became a tragic situation,” he said.

The men remained on ventilators through Thursday night, according to Shoshan, who at the families’ request declined to provide names. “One is in a more severe situation with head trauma and also internal injuries. He’s considered to be critical. The other is communicative and has internal injuries but he is more stable,” Shoshan said, noting that “they have a long recovery and rehabilitation process in front of them.”

Under the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs direction, Shoshan said that early Wednesday morning, upon learning of the attack, he “checked if there are any Israelis in distress.”

“I immediately flew into Louisiana to go see them and to be with the Jewish community,” Shoshan, who is based in Houston, told JI. “Basically to be here so that once they are waking up and opening their eyes they can see a friendly face who speaks their language.”

The Jewish community in New Orleans is “wonderful, warm and supportive,” Shoshan said. “They’re doing everything to make the situation as comfortable as possible.”
At New Orleans Terrorist's Local Mosque, Imam Says Hitler Killed Jews 'Because of the Economy Thing, They Were in Control of the Economy'
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the Islamic terrorist who killed 14 people in the New Year's Eve attack on New Orleans, lived near a Houston mosque led by a radical imam who once preached that Hitler massacred Jews because "they like to take control of the economy," video footage shows.

The Jewish people "have many problems, but that’s one of the main problems—they like to take control of the economy," Imam Eiad Soudan of Houston's Masjid Bilal mosque said in November 2023, according to footage released by the Middle East Media Research Institute. "Everywhere they go, whatever is the rule, as long as they get to the goal, the means don't matter."

"They seek corruption in the land," Soudan continued. "Hitler hated the Israelites so bad because of the economy thing, they were in control of the economy." He referred to Hitler as "this guy ... with the nice moustache."



Soudan's mosque is located just blocks away from Jabbar's north Houston neighborhood, which is known for its Muslim population.

While it's unclear if Jabbar himself attended the mosque—one of the terrorist's former neighbors told CNN that he "knew Jabbar was Muslim" but had "never seen Jabbar at the nearby mosque"—police blocked off the building on Wednesday. Shortly thereafter, Masjid Bilal reportedly issued a social media post urging its members to ignore media inquiries and speak to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a prominent anti-Israel group, before cooperating with the FBI.

"If anyone is contacted by the media, it is very important that you do not respond," the post read. "If approached by the FBI and a response is necessary, please refer to CAIR and ISGH," a reference to the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, which Masjid Bilal is part of.

"It is crucial that we stay united at this time as we condemn these terrible acts."

Soudan’s anti-Semitic remarks were made during a youth event, according to MEMRI, which monitors extremist rhetoric. While discussing the history of "Palestine," Soudan claimed that international support for Israel stems from the fear that Jews will usurp Western economies.

"That is why the other countries don't want them back," he said. "So when they support them, they are not supporting them because they love them. It’s like: ‘Please stay there, we’ll do whatever [it takes], stay there, don’t come back.’"

Jews, Soudan added, "spread corruption across the land, and Allah does not like corrupters."


The Quad: And 2024’s Biggest Scumbag Is…
Who were the biggest haters and enemies of the Jewish people and Israel in 2024? "The Quad" received your submissions and the results are in!

Watch this special episode with Barbara Heller, Michael Rapaport and Daniel Ryan Spaulding to find out who made the much coveted position of No. 1 Scumbag of the Year!

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Scumbags of the Year Episode
02:00 Introducing the Guest Co-Host and Team
05:05 Top 10 Scumbags: Mehdi Hassan
07:27 Self-Loathing Jews: A Painful Discussion
12:10 The Woke Right: Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson
19:01 College Protesters: Ignorance or Malice?
22:46 Mainstream Media's Role in the Narrative
29:24 Media Bias and Accountability
32:18 Political Double Standards in Europe
35:27 The Role of International Courts
40:29 Canada's Political Landscape and Anti-Semitism
44:45 The United Nations and Its Failures
50:37 Iran: The Greatest Threat in the Middle East


NY university opens first legal clinic training future lawyers to combat antisemitism
Last year, anti-Israel protests rocked Columbia University in New York City, with student activists, Jewish groups, the university administration, police and members of Congress all drawn into the fray.

Behind the scenes, a more subtle battle was taking place, as both pro- and anti-Israel groups battered the university, and each other, with lawsuits.

A student suspended by the university after saying “Zionists don’t deserve to live” sued Columbia over the decision. A Jewish student filed a lawsuit after he was punished for using a prank spray at a protest.

New York’s branch of the ACLU sued Columbia for suspending anti-Israel student groups. Meanwhile, five other students sued anti-Israel activists for damages related to the protest encampment on campus.

A new, first-of-its-kind initiative at New York City’s Touro University aims to train future lawyers for those battles. Last semester, Touro opened its first antisemitism legal course and in the spring semester will launch its first legal clinic on the topic. Touro is a Jewish university with around 19,000 students.

The initiative is led by Rabbi Dr. Mark Goldfelder, the director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, a nonprofit focused on using legal tools and education to combat antisemitism. The program is part of the group’s long-term plan to use the law to combat antisemitism, Goldfelder said. The efforts will serve as a counterpoint to focused, decades-long efforts by Israel’s adversaries, he said.

“We need to execute on 20-year plans,” Goldfelder said in an interview. “One of those 20-year plans is training the next generation of people who can be professional Jewish advocates. Right now, there’s nowhere in the country where people can go if they want to become a Jewish civil rights lawyer.”

The undergraduate course last semester filled its 18 slots minutes after it was opened, Goldfelder said. Both Jewish and non-Jewish students participated.

“If you look at the landscape of American society, as well as higher education, in general there’s a need to train appropriate advocates to fight antisemitism and bias,” Rabbi Moshe Krupka, Touro’s executive vice president, said in an interview. “We felt the particular responsibility to do something meaningful for all of our students, not just the Jewish students, but all of our students that care about protecting the notion of truth and advocating responsibly.”
'A Bogus Claim': Columbia Professor Who Praised Oct. 7 Says Jews Not Descendants of Ancient Hebrews
Columbia University professor Joseph Massad, who is slated to teach a course on Zionism, accused Jews of engaging in a "Hitlerian project" for claiming descent from ancient Hebrews during an appearance on a podcast hosted by a professor at Pakistan's University of Lahore.

Massad said the idea that Jews are descended from ancient Hebrews is a "bogus claim" and called them a "strange European group" during a March 25 episode of InFocus with Ejaz Haider titled "Busting Zionist Myths." Both Massad and the host, Ejaz Haider, a senior resident fellow at the University of Lahore's Center for Security, Strategy, and Policy Research, have praised Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack. The podcast is hosted on a platform sponsored by the university, which itself endorsed "the Palestinians' fight for freedom" in a statement issued one month after the attack.

"The idea that European Jews are somehow direct descendants of the ancient Hebrews is, of course, a bogus claim," Massad said. "Even if Jews believed somehow [they had] some lineage, at least a religious or spiritual lineage [to ancient Hebrews], by the 17th and 18th centuries, this idea amongst European Christians would become important, especially to estrange European Jews from Europe, and they begin to cast them as ‘Asiatics’—people who have come from Asia originally."

"What is special here about Zionism is not only the invention of ancient Israel and the invention of Jews as descendants of the ancient Hebrews, it’s almost like a Hitlerian project to speak of Jews genetically in this fashion," Massad added. "And it only becomes fashionable, of course, in the 19th century, with the rise of racial science and the biological sciences."

Massad also said ancient Israel was an invention of archaeology, a field he tied to colonialism.

"Of course, the mythology also includes aspects of the invention of ancient Israel," he said. "This is all a game of archaeology, and we know archaeology, of course, is part of colonialism. This is a science that begins in the late 18th century and early 19th century as part of the colonial venture."

"It is strange that the only people in that region, Palestinians, are unable to claim the ancient Hebrews as their ancestors because some strange European group is claiming them as their ancestors," Massad continued.

A day after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Massad called the assault "incredible" and "awesome" in an Electronic Intifada op-ed titled "Just another battle or the Palestinian war of liberation?" He’s also set to teach a spring course covering the "History of the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskala) in 19th century Europe and the development of Zionism through the current peace process between the state of Israel and the Arab states and the Palestinian national movement," according to a description on Columbia’s website. The course aims to provide "a historical overview of the Zionist-Palestinian conflict to familiarize undergraduates with the background of the current situation."
Biden Ed Department Approves Another Toothless Anti-Semitism Settlement, This Time With Rutgers
President Joe Biden's Department of Education reached an agreement Thursday with Rutgers University to settle civil rights complaints alleging that Jewish students faced discrimination on campus since October 2023. The school didn't admit wrongdoing and agreed only to underwhelming measures, such as reviewing its nondiscrimination policies.

In the resolution, Rutgers agreed to "provide training" to campus police officers and "employees responsible for investigating complaints and other reports of discrimination." The school also agreed to conduct "listening sessions" and "develop a climate assessment" meant to evaluate "the extent to which students and/or employees are subjected to, or witness discrimination, including harassment, based on national origin, including shared Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim ancestry."

"Rutgers has reached a voluntary agreement with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights to continue to take steps to clarify, communicate, and review its policies and procedures related to discrimination and harassment, especially around national origin," a university spokeswoman told the Washington Free Beacon. "The Rutgers community stands firmly against discrimination and harassment in all its forms, and the university will always strive to strengthen the policies and practices that protect our students, faculty, and staff. Rutgers is grateful to the Office of Civil Rights for its guidance."

The agreement settled three civil rights complaints but involved nearly 400 reports of discrimination against Jewish students. In one instance, an anti-Israel protester identified where a Jewish student lived and called for him to be killed. In another, a swastika was drawn on a Jewish student's dorm room door.

The settlement comes in the wake of widespread anti-Semitism that has gripped Rutgers's campus since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel. For instance, in March, the face of a Jewish freshman was plastered on flyers for an anti-Israel referendum in the dormitory where the student lives. A member of one of Rutgers's advisory boards has regularly posted pro-Hamas content on his social media accounts, including several posts hailing attacks on Israeli troops as "hunting season."

Last month, two Rutgers faculty unions adopted an anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions resolution, with approximately 60 percent of the groups voting in favor. The resolution accused Israel of apartheid and ethnic cleansing and urged the university to divest its endowment from companies and organizations linked to the Israeli government. The measure furthermore called on Rutgers to terminate its partnership with Tel Aviv University and to "disallow any future collaboration on Israeli military or intelligence technology." Such a boycott, illegal in the state of New Jersey, was not mentioned in the settlement.
Weaponizing university conduct officers against Zionist students
A few months ago, I got to know a man who is now a friend and in many ways embodies Jewish pride post-Oct. 7, 2023, by standing up, saying something and doing something. Jakob Schanzer is a Jewish student at Tulane University working on his doctorate in chemical engineering.

A few days after Oct. 7, 2023, there was a protest right outside his office that turned violent. He watched it all unfold, and, as he explained to me the first time we spoke, he thought about his Jewish roots, although he hadn’t prayed or been a part of the organized Jewish community in many years. Since then, Schanzer has been actively cleaning up what feels like endless antisemitic graffiti, stickers and fliers in his New Orleans neighborhood.

On Rosh Hashanah 2024, Schanzer tried to spray-paint over a very large antisemitic mural that said “All eyes on Gaza” near his house and was confronted by a woman with a camera who filmed him. He calmly and confidently explained to her what he was doing, saying that he would return again and again and again if the antisemitic mural was repainted. As he said, “Jews fight back. Get used to it.”

The video went viral, and the next morning, Schanzer was doxxed, and his personal information was released online. A campaign launched to have him expelled from Tulane generated more than 3,000 emails to the university.

The school immediately called him for questioning about this off-campus graffiti incident. Shockingly, Tulane didn’t support him. Instead, they warned him about his behavior, even though it took place off-campus. Since then, as Schanzer continues with his activism, he has been relentlessly harassed by Tulane’s Office of Student Conduct.

With Betar’s support, Schanzer detailed that he had nothing to apologize for and called on the community to support him. Betar generated thousands of emails to Tulane University in support of Schanzer, who urged all in New Orleans to join him in continuing to remove hateful graffiti.

While the school asked him to stay home for a few days, fearing they couldn’t protect him, Schanzer refused to hide. Instead, he continued with his routines. A few days later, his car windows were smashed in front of his home, yet he still went about his business.


BBC apologises after ‘ambushing’ rabbi on air with hostile questions about Israel
The BBC has apologised to a rabbi after ambushing him live on air about Israel in an interview which was pitched to be about Chanukah, the JC has learnt.

Rabbi Gideon Sylvester, the United Synagogue’s Israel Rabbi based in Jerusalem, was approached by a BBC producer about taking part in a series of interviews with faith leaders based in Israel about how the holy period would be celebrated given the ongoing war.

But during his interview with journalist Ben Brown on December 23, Rabbi Sylvester was not asked once about Chanukah.

Instead, he was asked about a two-state solution, if Israel was responding proportionally to October 7, and questioned over whether the country is striving for peace.

In an email to Rabbi Sylvester seen by the JC, a senior news editor at the BBC said: “I am sorry that your interview with us last week was not what you were expecting.

“It was always our intention to discuss recent news events as well as faith, and challenge views as necessary. However, having watched your interview back I can see that we focused a little too much on politics and should have allowed you more time to explain the impact of the conflict on Hanukkah,” the email said.

Speaking to the JC, Rabbi Sylvester said it was “outrageous” that Brown implied Israel was responsible for starting the war it’s currently in.

He was referring to Brown’s last question about how Israel is responsible for bringing peace.
Narratives replace news in BBC TV reporting on the Gaza Strip
Preston – who claims to have a “special interest” in security and defence – conveniently managed to ignore the fact that not only were some 240 suspected terror operatives detained in this latest operation but also that a year ago, the same hospital’s former director stated that Hamas had offices inside the hospital and used it as a base for operational activity.

The item continued with Preston bringing in Emir Nader, who wrote the original version of the BBC News website report on the same topic. As in that written report, Nader’s account cited claims made by “the deputy minister of health in Gaza” but viewers were not informed that Dr Yousef Abu-Al Rish is a member of Hamas with a record of promoting disinformation. Emir also noted that the hospital’s director had been detained, but viewers were not informed of his Hamas links either.

Like Preston, Nader ignored the discovery of weapons and military equipment during the operation in order to amplify Hamas denials of its use of the hospital for military purposes.
“The Israeli military after it cleared the hospital yesterday said that it was being used by Hamas as a terrorist stronghold – something that Hamas have…have denied.”

The item continued (from 02:41) with Preston introducing a guest as follows:
“Well let’s speak now to Dr James Smith, an emergency doctor who’s been to Gaza twice in the last year…”

Ignoring BBC editorial guidelines on the topic of “Contributors’ Affiliations”, Preston failed to inform viewers that Dr Smith’s trip to the Gaza Strip was arranged by the anti-Israel NGO ‘Medical Aid for Palestinians’ (MAP) – as the BBC knows because it interviewed him in January 2024, stating:
“Another doctor placed at al-Aqsa with MAP, James Smith, told the BBC that he had heard gunfire on several days.”

Neither did Preston inform viewers that his interviewee has called for an end to UK arms sales to Israel or that his “particular viewpoints” – as expressed in numerous media interviews – include the opinion that “the UK government is clearly complicit in not only the ongoing genocide in Gaza but the protracted occupation of Palestine” or that even before travelling to the Gaza Strip, he co-authored a paper claiming that “[f]raming Palestinian violence on October 7 as provocation and Israeli violence as response is ahistoric”.
Guardian cartoon promotes Hamas propaganda
Though Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell finally departed the outlet last year after decades of spreading lies about Israel and Jews, the political cartoon page is still being used to spread similarly hateful propaganda. The latest example is a cartoon by Ella Baron on the IDF’s operation against Hamas terrorists who were reportedly using the Kamal Adwan hospital, in the territory’s north, as a military base.

It appears that the operation was successful, with hundreds of patients, doctors and caregivers being evacuated prior to the raid, and, according to the IDF, the 19 people killed during the battle were all terror operatives – without any known civilians dying. Some 240 terror operatives were arrested – including 15 who allegedly participated in the Oct. 7th massacre.

The director of the hospital, Hussam Abu Safiya, was also detained. The IDF said he is suspected of being a Hamas operative.

However, the Guardian cartoonist decided to spread propaganda based on an evidence-free claim of the Hamas-run health ministry, which accused Israeli troops of intentionally setting fires in several parts of Kamal Adwan, including at a lab and the surgery department – an accusation the IDF emphatically denied.

IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said that “While IDF troops were not in the hospital, a small fire broke out in an empty building inside the hospital that [was soon] under control,” adding that a preliminary investigation found “no connection” between military activity and the fire.

Nonetheless, here’s the cartoon, titled ‘A Year of Destruction in Gaza’.

Here’s a close-up of the relevant part of the image:


As you can see, the event in question is depicted by the cartoonist as a massive fire consuming the entire hospital – which goes far beyond even Hamas’s more narrow claim that there were fires in a lab and surgery department. When we argue that the Guardian’s coverage of the Oct. 7th massacre and its aftermath has been effectively pro-Hamas, this is the kind of nakedly propagandistic and fallacious content we’re referring to.


3 Palestinians killed amid Jenin clashes between PA forces, terror groups in W. Bank
A Palestinian man and his son were killed in Jenin, local medical officials said on Friday, as a month-long standoff between Palestinian Authority security forces and terrorist groups in the northern West Bank city continued.

A spokesman for the PA security forces confirmed that Mahmoud al-Hajj was killed along with his son Qassem, while his daughter was injured “in an incident” in the Jenin refugee camp — a crowded quarter that houses descendants of Palestinians who fled or were driven out in the Israeli War of Independence in 1948.

“The area where the incident took place is outside the scope of the operational area where the security forces are active within the camp,” the spokesman said, accusing “lawless individuals” of carrying out the killings.

Wisam Bakr, director of the Jenin government hospital, confirmed to AFP that Hajj’s body and his injured daughter had been brought to his facility, while Qassem’s body was transported to another hospital in Jenin.

Bakr did not disclose details about the circumstances of their deaths.

The PA health ministry in Ramallah and the Palestinian Red Crescent also did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment.


Have Syria’s new rulers really left jihadism behind?
The importance of genuine reform in Syria cannot be overstated. The country has been ravaged by more than a decade of war, leaving it fragmented and vulnerable to external influence. The Assad regime, with its brutal governance and alliance with Iran and Hezbollah, has left a legacy of destruction and repression. For Syria to truly move forward, it must break free from this stranglehold.

However, replacing one form of extremism with another is not a solution. A rebranded HTS that continues to harbour extremist ideologies could pose an even greater challenge, as its leadership would have the veneer of legitimacy while remaining unyielding in its core beliefs. Without meaningful change, Syria risks becoming a failed state under the guise of a reformed one, perpetuating cycles of violence and instability.

The potential for a brighter future exists but it requires more than empty promises. Imagine a Syria that is free from Assad’s tyranny, devoid of Iranian influence, and unburdened by Hezbollah’s reach. Such a Syria could emerge as a regional partner for peace, even joining the Abraham Accords and establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. This vision, though ambitious, is not unattainable. Yet it hinges on one critical factor: the willingness of Syria’s leadership to embrace genuine ideological reform.

For Syria’s new leadership to prove its sincerity, actions must speak louder than words. Superficial gestures will not suffice in convincing the world of their transformation. HTS leaders must take bold, visible steps to confront and reject extremist ideologies. This means issuing unequivocal public declarations denouncing their past and making systemic changes that reflect a commitment to inclusivity and peace.

Moreover, these efforts must be backed by tangible actions on the ground. This could include fostering pluralism within Syrian society, protecting minority rights and establishing governance structures that prioritise the well-being of all citizens. International observers and potential allies will be watching closely for signs of genuine reform, and symbolic gestures alone will not earn their trust.

Despite the challenges, there are grounds for cautious optimism. The notion of a better Syria is not merely a dream; it is a possibility that can be realised through concerted effort and genuine reform. If the new leadership is serious about building a brighter future, they must rise to the occasion and prove their sincerity through deeds, not just rhetoric.

Syria’s future hangs in the balance. The choices made by its leaders in the coming years will determine whether the country emerges as a beacon of hope or remains mired in the shadows of its past. For al-Sharaa, the time has come to choose: Will they embrace the courage needed to change, or will they remain trapped in a cycle of superficial transformation?


Iran summons Italian ambassador over arrest of Iranian wanted by US
Iran's foreign ministry summoned the Italian ambassador on Friday over the detention of an Iranian national wanted by the United States for his alleged role in a deadly drone strike against US forces, Iranian state media reported.

The summons came a day after a similar move by Italy over Iran's arrest of Italian reporter Cecilia Sala, who was seized in Tehran on Dec. 19 while working under a journalist visa.

An Iranian foreign ministry official "urged Italy to reject America's hostage policy - which is contrary to international law, particularly human rights - and provide for Mr. (Mohammad) Abedini's release as soon as possible and prevent damage to bilateral ties," state media reported.

On Thursday, the Iranian embassy in Rome said Sala was being given all the humanitarian care necessary, and for the first time, linked her case to that of Abedini.

Why was the Italian journalist arrested?
Iran's said on Monday that Sala had been arrested for "violating the laws of the Islamic Republic." It gave no further information.

Sala was detained three days after Abedini, an Iranian businessman, was arrested at Milan's Malpensa airport on a US warrant for allegedly supplying drone parts that Washington says were used in a 2023 attack that killed three US service members in Jordan.

Iran has denied involvement in the attack.

Abedini is currently being held in prison and a court is due to decide this month whether to grant him house arrest while judges consider the US extradition request.

In recent years, Iran's security forces have arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this.
Iranian delegation attempts to bar plane from being searched in Beirut
An Iranian delegation on board an Iranian Air Mahan flight that had landed in Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport from Tehran attempted to bar Lebanese security officials from searching the plane, according to the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar on Thursday.

The publication added that the Beirut airport had been in a state of alert following reports that the flight may be carrying funds for Hezbollah.

Earlier on Thursday, the Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath reported, citing Western sources, that the Islamic Republic was planning on transferring millions of dollars to Hezbollah on Thursday via an Air Mahan flight from Tehran to the Lebanese capital.

According to the Lebanese publication, one of the delegation members refused to have his bag searched. The Lebanese authorities ultimately confiscated the contents of the bag.

The hold up reportedly led to Hezbollah affiliates to protest in Beirut's Dahieh neighborhood, Ynet reported.

Iranians claim bags containing sums are diplomatic bags
Two bags, which the Iranian embassy in Beirut said were diplomatic bags containing documents and sums intended for its embassy in Lebanon, were reportedly allowed into the country.

An-Nahar further noted that the plane was subsequently searched. However, nothing was found on it.


Grand jury indicts Pennsylvania man for trying to join Hezbollah, lying to FBI
A grand jury indicted Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, a dual American and Irish citizen who is accused of trying to join Hezbollah and lying about supporting the terror group to the FBI, the U.S. Justice Department stated on Thursday.

U.S. marshals brought Molloy, who was arrested in Chicago on Dec. 6, to Pittsburgh on Dec. 30. The Justice Department didn’t state what day he was indicted.

A former active duty member of the U.S. military, Molloy allegedly traveled to Syria and Lebanon between August and December last year to join the U.S.-designated terror organization, per the department.

“While in Lebanon, Molloy was told by multiple individuals that the time was not right and that he needed to take other steps before he could join the terrorist organization,” said the Justice Department. “Molloy then traveled from Lebanon to Syria in October 2024 in an effort to fight for Hezbollah in Syria. After returning to the United States, Molloy resided in Upper St. Clair, where he continued his attempts to join Hezbollah, including through communication with individuals online and in Lebanon.”

“During his time in the United States and abroad, Molloy also allegedly expressed his hatred toward, and promoted violence against, Jewish people,” the department added. “Molloy’s alleged animus toward Jews was also evidenced by multiple images and videos on his electronic devices and the usernames he chose for his social media and email accounts,” including one with an anti-Jewish slur.

“In one alleged WhatsApp exchange with a family member, Molloy agreed that his ‘master plan was to join Hezbollah and kill Jews,’” the department stated. “While he was residing in Upper St. Clair, Molloy also allegedly visited a website detailing the possible incarceration location of Robert Bowers, who carried out the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue shooting during which he murdered 11 Jewish worshippers.”


Ethiopian Amb. to 'Post': History between Ethiopia and Israel shapes relationship - interview
Very few countries in the world can date their diplomatic ties back to the days of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Since the time of King Solomon, Ethiopia, and Israel have enjoyed a relationship that transcends the humdrum diplomatic world of the 21st century. Rooted in a shared history and bolstered by a future of collaborative growth, the bond between the two nations is bound by mutual respect and shared aspirations.

The deep ties between Ethiopia and Israel trace back 3,000 years to the legendary meeting of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. “This historical connection,” Ethiopian Ambassador Tesfaye Yitayeh explained to The Jerusalem Post, “has shaped, in a positive manner, our relationship.

We Ethiopians cherish this relationship very much.” This history continues to inform a connection between the two peoples, particularly evident in Ethiopia’s Christian pilgrims and Israel’s Ethiopian Jewish community.

Modern relations between the two countries were formalized in 1956 with the establishment of embassies in Addis Ababa and Jerusalem. Early collaborations included Israeli assistance in military training and capacity-building in Ethiopia. These foundations laid the groundwork for the diverse partnership that is visible today.

Trade forms a cornerstone of Ethiopia and Israel’s partnership. “The trade relationship between the two countries is excellent,” Yitayeh emphasized. Ethiopian coffee, known globally for its quality, finds a ready market in Israel. In just three months, between July and September, Israel imported 540 tons of Ethiopian coffee – more than China imported. Another notable export is injera, Ethiopia’s traditional sourdough flatbread, which is gaining popularity in Israeli markets and among the Ethiopian Jewish community.

Yitayeh also underscored the potential for growth in other sectors. Ethiopia’s expanding avocado production, supported by Israeli agricultural expertise, is an example of successful collaboration.

Through MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, Ethiopian farmers are learning techniques in irrigation, fertilization, and crop management. “With Israeli support, Ethiopia is now exporting avocados to the European market,” Yitayeh noted proudly. This mutually beneficial exchange not only boosts Ethiopia’s agricultural exports but also showcases Israel’s advanced farming technologies.


Documentary on the Nova music festival massacre nominated for PGA award
The documentary We Will Dance Again has been nominated for the prestigious Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture from the Producers Guild of America (PGA) awards.

The recently released film explores the harrowing massacre that took place at the Nova Festival on October 7, 2023 and offers a deeply personal perspective from survivors and their families, alongside previously unseen testimonies and footage.

Produced by MGM Television and See It Now Studios, the film gained significant attention after media giant Paramount Global began marketing and distributing it in the United States.

Paramount Global, jointly owned by American-Jewish businessman Brandon Korff, his two siblings, and their mother, Paramount Chair Shari Redstone, is distributing the film in the U.S. through its streaming service, Paramount Plus, which boasts over 70 million subscribers. Korff, known for his dedication to Israel, IDF soldiers, and artistic projects, supported Paramount’s involvement, emphasizing the company’s commitment to raising global awareness about the horrific massacre at the Nova Festival.

Festival goers attempting to escape Hamas massacre
Sources involved in the film’s production emphasized that Paramount’s backing stems from a deep sense of responsibility to share the victims’ stories with as broad an audience as possible. “For the company, the film serves not only as a historical account but also as a way to commemorate the victims and amplify the voices of survivors, particularly during a time of rising antisemitism and hostility toward Israel and the Jewish community,” said a member of the Israeli production team.

The film has already premiered in New York, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Los Angeles, and London and is expected to be available for viewing in Israel through HOT in the coming weeks.

The film has received significant industry recognition, including winning the “Best in Category” and Best Editing awards at the 2024 Doc Edge Festival.
Spurs fans to call again for release of Emily Damari
A group of Tottenham Hotspur fans are to continue their efforts to raise awareness on the plight of Gaza hostage Emily Damari at the club’s home game this weekend.

Campaigners hope for their biggest action yet as part of the ongoing “She’s One of Our Own” campaign, calling for the immediate release of British national and lifelong Spurs fan Damari.

Inside north London club’s stadium, duringthe 7th minute of the game against Newcastle United fans will release yellow balloons in a call to “bring Emily Damari home now!”

Since September, Tottenham fans, alongside Stop The Hate UK and GPS Network groups have campaigned for Damari’s release.

Outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they’ve been releasing yellow balloons, displaying Emily’s photograph, and uniting their voices in song: “She’s one of our own, she’s one of our own, Emily Damari, bring Emily home!”

Emily’s mother Mandy Damari said:”As we approach Tottenham’s next match on January 4th, I want to thank your amazing community for your unwavering support in the campaign to bring Emily back home alive.

“The song you sing about her every week and the yellow balloons are beautiful gestures of hope and solidarity, and I’m truly touched by the love and determination from everyone involved.

“I am also amazed at how people all over the world are reacting so positively to what you are doing. I’ve heard they’ve seen the campaign even in Australia and Canada!

“Emily, who loves Spurs with all her heart, would be so moved by this.

“Knowing that so many people are standing with her gives me strength. ”

Ahead of the 12.30pm kick off campaigners will gather opposite the main Spurs Shop at 10.45am for a photograph to publicise the campaign.




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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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