Thursday, February 06, 2025

02/06 Links Pt2: Three male hostages expected for Saturday release; Anti-Israel activists planned London protest durring Oct 7 attack; Biden State Dept Downplayed Jihad in UNRWA texts

From Ian:

First request for UK pro-Palestine protest came during October 7 attack
The Met Police have revealed that the first request for a national demonstration against Israel came on October 7 2023 at 12:50pm – just hours after the Hamas attack began.

New documents, released following a freedom of information request, show that the force was first notified of the intention of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) to organise marches while the IDF was still fighting to expel terrorists from southern Israel.

“The MPS were contacted on Saturday 7 October at approximately 12.50pm via telephone call and informed of the intention to protest, the MPS committed this to our systems on the same day and are satisfied being contacted by telephone was a sufficient means in which to notify the MPS as the event was taking place 7 days after notification,” the report said.

The assault on October 7 began at 6:30am and, by 12:50pm, Hamas militants were still actively killing and kidnapping civilians from the Nova music festival, Kibbutz Be’eri, Kfar Aza, and several other communities along the Israeli border with Gaza.

At 8:32am the IDF began mobilising its army reserves and two hours later, IDF fighter jets began conducting air strikes on the Gaza Strip. It was not until October 8 that Israel declared itself to be in a state of war and not until October 9 that Israel ordered a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip, cutting off electricity, water, food and fuel from entering.

The Met report on the timing of the protest notification also stated that they were advised of the march by an organiser speaking on behalf of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign group.

Ben Jamal, the PSC’s director, has since been charged with breaching police conditions during one of its latest demonstrations.

In response to the report, activist group Stop the Hate UK wrote on X: “We thought the PSC couldn't surprise us. But even for them this is a new low. A couple of hours into the most brutal attack against Jewish people since the Holocaust - and while the attack was still ongoing - they were busy organising a national protest against the victims.”

Dave Rich, head of policy at the Community Security Trust (CST), wrote: “It’s hard to comprehend that while Jews around the world watched with horror as a pogrom took place in Israel on Oct 7, the ghouls at PSC saw the exact same images and thought ‘let’s have an anti-Israel demo’”.

Russell Langer, director of public affairs at the Jewish Leadership Council, also commented on the Met Police report, writing on X: “12.55pm on October 7th was when I finally found out my family had been rescued from the house set on fire hours earlier by Hamas. Many others were still being killed and kidnapped. 5 minutes earlier, those who hate Israel were making their plans to march against the victims.”
My family home was firebombed in a vile anti-Semitic attack in Sydney. This is what I kept quiet until now - and the question every Australian needs to ask themselves
Alex Ryvchin is the co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.

When I was shaken from sleep by my panicked wife early one Friday morning a few weeks ago, to the news that our former home was targeted in an anti-Semitic attack, many thoughts and emotions came to me.

Shock was not among them. There was nothing unusual in the morning's chaos.

In the past 15 months, many times, I have been woken by calls from media, staff, police or politicians informing me that a synagogue was burning, that cars daubed with anti-Semitic slogans were burning, and that yet another Jewish target was hit.

This time it was the place where my wife and I first brought our daughter home from the hospital and where during the pandemic we hunkered down as a family and I valiantly attempted to homeschool my eldest daughter before she refused to call me, 'Mr Ryvchin' and the whole thing ended in tears.

It was a deliriously happy home. Our sanctuary for five years from the carnage and chaos that occurs outside and over which we have so little control. But within those walls was only love.

Our old neighbour from across the street had recorded the scene and sent it to us. A fireball rising into the night sky.

Red paint splashed on the walls I had myself painted white. On the vehicle in the adjoining driveway, which belongs to a Jewish couple in their 80s, 'F—k the Jews' was scrawled on one side, 'F—k Israel' on the other. Two sides of the same car and two sides of the same coin.

For 15 months I have shrugged off questions about my own safety. Not out of any great valour but more a symptom of my optimism. Being afraid is also no way to live.

For 15 months, the community has reeled from such attacks.

In response, the common refrain by advocates and politicians has been to condemn them as 'un-Australian,' a great term that denotes conduct that runs contrary to who we are as a country.

But a country, like an individual, is defined not by how they see themselves but how they actually behave.

A part of Australian behaviour has become to harass, intimidate, abuse and burn motivated by a hatred of the Jewish people.

In the days after my former home was hit, a childcare centre in Maroubra was firebombed, a potentially devastating mass terror attack was disrupted, schools were daubed with more anti-Semitic slogans, and a man was arrested for allegedly daubing Stars of David on a private home in Melbourne before spitting and throwing bacon on a passerby.

A small minority is responsible for this conduct, but when the majority is silent, ambivalent or apathetic the conduct continues, it spreads and it starts to define a nation.
Biden State Dept Privately Downplayed Use of 'Jihad' and 'Occupation' in UNRWA-Made Study Materials, Saying Only 'Some Other Audiences' View the Terms as 'Inappropriate'
When the Biden administration resumed funding to the United Nations relief agency for Gaza, it penned an internal memo aimed at defending UNRWA over its production of childhood "educational materials" that encourage violence and demonize Israel. Some of those materials included references to "jihad" and Israeli "occupation"—terms that the Biden State Department wrote are "in line with U.N. principles" and only "viewed as inappropriate by some other audiences."

The memo, obtained by the Washington Free Beacon through a records request from watchdog group Protect the Public Trust, came roughly two weeks after the Biden administration restored tens of millions of dollars in funding to UNRWA in April 2021 following a pause during President Donald Trump's first stint in the White House. Written by deputy assistant secretary Nancy Izzo Jackson for Secretary of State Antony Blinken, it addressed "examples of criticism" targeting UNRWA and laid out the State Department's "response."

The first section, titled, "Educational Materials," notes that UNRWA made "home-learning 'cards,' based on the Palestinian Authority's educational curriculum, to supplement textbooks sent home" during the COVID pandemic. Some of those cards, according to a January 2021 report from research firm Impact-se, included the "encouragement of violence" and accused Israel "of deliberately dumping radioactive and toxic waste in the West Bank."

UNRWA, the State Department wrote, had already removed or changed the content before the report's release. Shortly thereafter, however, Impact-se issued a follow-up report that identified additional "problematic cards," including "references to jihad in and violence in Arabic language lessons for grades 6 and 9," as well as references to "the Israeli occupation." UNRWA determined that those terms did not violate "U.N. principles," according to the State Department memo, which states that only "some other audiences" may object to them.

"UNRWA removed or updated four cards while retaining a dozen cards it deemed as in line with U.N. principles (e.g. use of 'jihad' in the Quran or the term 'occupation') but are viewed as inappropriate by some other audiences," the State Department said.The memo offers a fresh window into the Biden administration's decision to restore funding to UNRWA—one that shows the Biden State Department was well aware of the issues plaguing the embattled relief agency but opted to barrel forward with funds anyway. It came just two months before the State Department privately assessed that Hamas was likely to benefit from more than $360 million in additional aid.


Three male hostages expected for Saturday release, negotiations for ceasefire to continue
Three Israeli male hostages are expected to be released on Saturday in what will be the fifth round of releases since the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal began. Seventy-nine hostages remain in Hamas captivity.

The list of hostages is expected to be delivered by Hamas to Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Friday before being transferred to Mossad Director David Barnea.

In previous rounds, hostages were released on Saturday morning. However, officials now fear that recent statements by US President Donald Trump – regarding destroying Hamas and relocating Gazans to other countries – might provide Hamas with an excuse to delay or disrupt the process.

“Trump’s statements have an influence on the current ceasefire and the hostage deal,” an official told The Jerusalem Post, “but I think phase one will absorb the noise that goes through.”

A working delegation is set to travel to Qatar this weekend and will focus on ongoing negotiations within phase one, which will reach day 21 – the halfway point – on Saturday.

On Thursday, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with the Qatari Prime Minister at Mar-a-Lago. The discussions centered on the second phase of the hostage deal, following Witkoff’s consultations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Israeli officials during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.

That same day, Trump stated, “I will not rest until every last hostage is returned.”

Netanyahu is pushing to extend phase one, aiming for additional rounds of hostage releases in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners, some with heavy blood on their hands. However, officials cautioned that even if phase one is extended, it may only allow for one additional round of releases beyond the original day 42 deadline.


Here I Am With Shai Davidai: The Story behind 'I'm That Jew' | EP 27 Eitan Chitayat
Welcome to the 27th episode of "Here I Am with Shai Davidai," a podcast that delves into the rising tide of antisemitism through insightful discussions with top Jewish advocates.

In this episode of "Here I Am with Shai Davidai," Shai sits down with Eitan Chitayat, founder of the branding agency "I'm That Jew." Eitan shares his journey of branding the Jewish identity and discusses the importance of being openly Jewish in today's world. The conversation delves into Eitan's viral video "I'm That Jew," which was initially a personal letter to a friend but evolved into a powerful message for the Jewish community. Eitan and Shai explore themes of identity, advocacy, and the challenges faced by Jewish people globally. They also touch on the rise of antisemitism and the need for solidarity and vocal support from allies. Eitan's insights provide a compelling narrative on embracing one's identity and standing up against hate.


Jonny Gould: 175: Edy Cohen addresses the Arab and English speaking worlds at the same time EXCLUSIVELY here
Dr. Dan Diker of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs spelt it out for me a couple of episodes back. You've got to address the neighbours in Arabic!

So I took his words to heart and did something about it.

And where better to start than with President Trump's astounding news conference alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu when he said, "we'll own Gaza".

The man to deliver truths to the Arab world is Dr. Edy Cohen, who drills down into the Arab world like no other Israeli. How? With an extraordinary X following of over 850,000.

Listen to Edy here, firstly in Arabic and if you want to hear it in English, scroll forward a couple of minutes to find it.
Israel and the Emerging Trends in Syria
The constant search by Middle East actors for new fighting opportunities lies in their fundamental perception of all situations of calm, even prolonged periods of apparent peace, as temporary. The parties view such phases not as peace but as truce periods during which they refrain from fighting.

The Westerner, trying to bring his own outlook to Middle Eastern dynamics, clings to the belief that even if a truce starts out as temporary, the parties involved will lose their desire to return to the fighting once stability has been established.

The Westerner simply does not understand, or chooses to ignore, that these are people of faith. One does not negotiate over one's religious dreams, and one does not forget them. In the Middle East, nothing outweighs religious and national dreams. Those dreams never fade; they rather await the right opportunity.

The rebel offensive in Syria teaches an important tactical lesson. As on Oct. 7, we saw the outbreak of rapid battle movement involving civilian vehicles, including motorcycles, SUVs and vans, in mobile and agile groups. No one who promises a demilitarized Palestinian state will be able to stop the Palestinians from purchasing motorcycles and SUVs. Israelis should give thought to the image of a raiding party on motorcycles and jeeps breaking into Israel.

Even the best intelligence experts had difficulty predicting the tsunami of the rebel assault that so swiftly toppled the Syrian government and its army. There is a great lesson here in recognizing the limitations of human knowledge. We cannot pretend to know or be able to control events that occur suddenly and unpredictably.

Prime Minister Netanyahu wisely emphasized that Israel will try not to interfere in the new order being organized in Syria. However, Israel has an interest in influencing developments in southern Syria in the Yarmouk Basin, where, until recently, Shiite militias took part in efforts to smuggle weapons to the Palestinian Authority and towards the Kingdom of Jordan.

By defensively penetrating the buffer zone between Israel and Syria, Israel's strategic purpose is to maintain Israeli control of the Syrian space in front of the border: to project Israeli military power onto the trends developing in Syria in order to create a position of influence and bargaining to secure Israeli security interests in the emerging system there.
Melanie Phillips: The Western Spirit - With Ariel Whitman: "The West is self destructing because it has abandoned Jewish Values!”
🎙️IIn this gripping conversation, we sit down with Melanie Phillips, one of the most fearless and sharpest voices on the decline of the West. As a British-Israeli journalist and author of The Builder’s Stone: How Jews and Christians Built the West and Why Only They Can Save It, she dissects how moral decay, radical ideologies, and the erasure of history are bringing the West to its knees.

We explore how multiculturalism and moral relativism have weakened society, why anti-Semitism is rising unchecked, and how elite institutions have become enablers of censorship and ideological tyranny. She exposes the truth behind the grooming gang scandal and the betrayal of Jewish communities in Europe, offering a stark warning about the collapse of Western values. But is the West beyond saving? Or is there still a path back?

Melanie doesn’t hold back, and this is a conversation you won’t hear anywhere else. Watch now and see what’s really at stake.

00:00 – The West Is Choosing to Self-Destruct
13:26 – This Was an Attack on Western Civilization
22:16 – Who Are the Real Racists?
27:41 – Trump, the Left, and Their Hypocrisy
39:41 – Can Europe Still Be Saved?
45:21 – UK Grooming Gangs and the Political Double Standard
57:18 – What the West Must Learn From Israel


Let US victims, families sue PLO, Palestinian Authority for terror, Jewish groups tell Supreme Court
The American Jewish Committee was one of 14 Jewish groups that filed a brief on Tuesday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to allow U.S. victims of Palestinian terror and relatives of those victims to sue for damages in American courts.

“American citizenship has many benefits. One of them is the obligation of the government to protect its citizens when they are abroad,” stated Marc Stern, the AJC chief legal officer.

The Anti-Defamation League, Zionist Organization of America, Orthodox Union and Agudath Israel of America were among the petitioners, as were pro-Israel and civil rights groups.

The groups filed the brief in Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization.

The groups say the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority “have been leaders in the planning, funding and rewarding of terrorism against Jews,” including “through a so-called martyrs’ fund, which has become known as a ‘pay-for-slay’ program.”

A Palestinian terrorist stabbed and killed Ari Fuld, a 45-year-old Israeli American, at the Gush Etzion junction in Judea and Samaria in 2018. His family is the named petitioner in this case.

“Each year, a substantial portion of the P.A.’s overall budget—approximately 8%—goes to terrorists rather than to assisting civilians or encouraging peace,” according to the brief.

“According to reports from 2017, the P.A.’s Foundation ‘has an annual budget of $173 million and operates within the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Social Affairs,’” it adds. “In 2017, a report found that 13,000 men and women are beneficiaries of the prisoner payments, for a total of about $160 million, and approximately 33,700 families shared in about $183 million of ‘martyr’ payments.”
Terrorists released by Israel leave prison as millionaires
Many terrorists released by Israel are millionaires, flush with cash from years of receiving monthly Palestinian Authority “pay for slay” stipends, an analysis by a Jerusalem-based watchdog group revealed on Wednesday.

Palestinian Media Watch posted a list of all 734 terrorists scheduled for release from Israeli prisons in the first phase of the hostages-for-ceasefire agreement with Hamas, together with their “salaries”—the dollar amounts each terrorist received from the Palestinian Authority’s so-called Martyrs’ Fund while incarcerated.

In total, the terrorists received $141,837,087, or more than half a billion shekels. Of those, 316, or nearly half, received more than a million shekels. (Palestinian Media Watch created a program to crunch the numbers, inputting all the relevant P.A. criteria—crime, marital status, number of children, etc., to determine the size of their stipends.)

“It’s a tremendous force driving terror,” Itamar Marcus, Palestinian Media Watch’s founder and director, told JNS.

First, it signals to Palestinians that these terrorists weren’t working in a vacuum, but were acting in the name of the P.A.

Second, the wealth places the terrorists in an honored position in Palestinian society, in fact, “Palestinian terrorists are the most honored people in Palestinian society,” he said.

“When they’re introduced, and in interviews, even years after they were released from jail, they’re called Asra [“Prisoner”]. That’s their title. It’s like an ambassador. It’s actually similar to POW [prisoner of war]. They have a different word for criminal prisoners. For the P.A., they’re legitimate fighters, even if they killed women and children,” Marcus said.

“In another society, if a criminal goes to jail for murdering someone, he’s ashamed about it. In the Palestinian Authority, they go around with a crown on their heads,” he said.
Federal Judge Admonishes Cooper Union While Rejecting College’s Effort to Dismiss Anti-Semitism Case
A federal judge rejected Cooper Union’s request to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Jewish students that alleged the New York college violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by failing to protect them from anti-Semitic attacks.

Judge John Cronan also admonished Cooper Union for arguing that the Jewish students should have hidden when anti-Semitic agitators cornered them in the school library.

"The Court is dismayed by Cooper Union’s suggestion that the Jewish students should have hidden upstairs or left the building, or that locking the library doors was enough to discharge its obligations under Title VI," Cronan wrote in his 56-page opinion. "These events took place in 2023—not 1943—and Title VI places responsibility on colleges and universities to protect their Jewish students from harassment, not on those students to hide themselves away in a proverbial attic or attempt to escape from a place they have a right to be."

In October 2023, anti-Israel protesters chanted, "Free, Free Palestine," as they trapped a group of identifiably Jewish students inside the Cooper Union library. The agitators banged on the locked doors and the large floor-to-ceiling windows, demanding to be let in.

In response, 10 Jewish students filed suit against Cooper Union in April 2024, alleging that the college failed to protect them and allowed a hostile environment to form in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.

"During the roughly twenty-minute ordeal, Cooper Union’s administrators did nothing to disperse the protestors and instead directed law enforcement to stand down, even as the college’s president had just escaped the building through a back exit," Cronan wrote. "None of the protestors subsequently faced any discipline."
Uncut ’60 Minutes’ Kamala Harris interview reveals ‘word salad’ responses were heavily edited by CBS — snipped Israel answer to just 20 words
The Harris reply that was broadcast was chopped to just 20 words: “The work that we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles.”

However, the full transcript shows Harris giving a long-winded, 179-word answer:

“Well, let’s start with this. On this subject, the aid that we have given Israel allowed Israel to defend itself against 200 ballistic missiles that were just meant to attack the Israelis, and the people of Israel. And I think that is the most recent example of why what we do to assist in their defense around military aid is important. And when we think about the threat that Hamas, Hezbollah presents Iran, I think that it is without any question our imperative to do what we can to allow Israel to defend itself against those kinds of attacks,” she begins.

“Now, the work that we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles, which include the need for humanitarian aid, the need for this war to end, the need for a deal to be done which would release the hostages, and create a cease-fire. And we’re not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel, and in the region, including with other leaders in the region, including Arab leaders.”

In a follow-up question, Harris responds in the broadcast: “We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”

In the unedited version, Harris says: “Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region. And we’re not going to stop doing that. We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop campaigned with multiple anti-Israel figures
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey, has been outspoken in his public career about his Jewish identity and — though he’s mostly stayed away from foreign affairs in his current role — has maintained a pro-Israel stance.

But Fulop has endorsed or been endorsed by multiple state officials and candidates who have expressed strident criticisms of Israel, reflecting the tricky Democratic primary politics that he and others in the gubernatorial primary are facing.

Shortly after his 2023 campaign launch, Sadaf Jaffer, then a Democratic assemblywoman, was the first sitting legislator to endorse Fulop.

Jaffer has an extensive history of comments on social media criticizing Israel and demanding an end of U.S. support for Israel. She has routinely accused Israel of genocide and said that “American taxpayer $ is being used to unrelentingly kill, maim, starve tens of thousands of Palestinian children for months on end.”

She also accused Israel of deliberately killing aid workers as its “goal” and of seeking to colonize Gaza. She has described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “wanted war criminal.”

Jaffer refused to vote for President Joe Biden over his support for Israel, claiming he had the unilateral ability to stop the war in Gaza by stopping arms transfers.

“[Biden] saw photos of dead Palestinian kids & didn’t care,” she said in another social media post. “He called into question the # of people killed when all accounts have shown they are undercounted. He simply doesn’t see Palestinian humanity.”
UCLA Student Celebrates Resignation of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Amid Antisemitism Allegations
Cultural Affairs Commissioner (CAC) at UCLA Alicia Verdugo stepped down on Tuesday, Feb. 4, following years of antisemitism allegations. Some Jewish students claimed she refused to hire them solely because of their faith or support for Israel.

In a statement from the student board of Hillel at UCLA, they welcomed Verdugo’s resignation from the Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC).

“It is no surprise that this comes ahead of this week’s Judicial Board hearing that intended to hold them responsible for a pattern of antisemitism, including the most recent incident of clear discrimination against Jewish students when hiring for roles within USAC.”

Last December, student Bella Brannon, 21, filed a complaint against Verdugo, stating that she and other students had been raising concerns about the CAC for years. The complaint detailed how students who identified as Jewish on their job applications were rejected by Verdugo’s office. These students did not express their views on the war in Israel or take any side in the conflict.

“We commend and stand with Bella Brannon, who courageously took a stand publicly against the CAC to call for this judicial hearing, as well as with all other Jewish students who have faced similar antisemitism hate and antisemitic discrimination on our campus. Antisemitism has no place at UCLA, and we hope that the CAC’s resignation stands as an example that we will not stand idly by to those who continue to think they can get away with promoting antisemitic rhetoric and discriminatory actions,” read the Hillel statement.

UCLA student Eli Tsives, who has experienced antisemitism on campus and documented it in a viral video clip on social media, posted on his Instagram: “The Zionists won!!! Alicia Verdugo has stepped down from her position as Cultural Affairs Commissioner at UCLA!”

In a statement, Brannon and Tsives said, “Restoring a truly inclusive campus climate requires accountability, and Alicia Verdugo’s resignation is a step towards that goal. While she has framed her departure on their own terms, the reality is that her tenure was defined by blatant discrimination against Jewish students, violating UCLA’s anti-discrimination policies and federal law.”

Brannon and Tsives further claimed that leaked internal messages revealed Verdugo had explicitly instructed her staff to reject ‘Zionist applicants to the CAC,’ leading to the exclusion of all applicants who expressed a Jewish identity.


US taxpayer-funded Arabic news network making changes after airing interviews with terrorists
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis is hopeful that changes are underway at Alhurra after the U.S. government-funded Arabic-language news network repeatedly aired the views of terrorists or terror supporters.

The media watchdog told JNS that “there are grounds to be optimistic about real change” at the network following the appointment of Jeffrey Gedmin as president and CEO of its parent organization in October.

“We have had a fruitful meeting and email exchanges with Gedmin and his main team, so there has been actual follow through from them,” a CAMERA spokesman told JNS.

Gedmin agreed to hold periodic meetings with CAMERA in an effort to counter anti-Israel and anti-American bias in the newsroom.

“CAMERA’s deep experience in media oversight will be crucial in ensuring that Alhurra’s programming reflects the values of American taxpayers,” said Andrea Levin, CAMERA’s president and executive director.

“As CAMERA and Alhurra editors may understandably come from different perspectives, it’s natural that we will not always agree on every single topic. But an ongoing dialogue that is open and friendly is a welcome indication that Alhurra is on the right track,” Levin said. “The recent leadership changes signal a new era for the network and we are excited to work together.”

Founded in 2004, Alhurra is a sub-entity of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which also runs Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel, the network has brought on guests who have described the attacks as a “heroic military miracle come true” and who have accused Israel of committing genocide.
Sky News worked with Hamas-affiliated journalist and was forced to apologize
A Gazan journalist affiliated with Hamas, who documented the attack on October 7, was employed by the British Sky News network through an external production company, sparking a diplomatic incident between Israel and UN peacekeeping forces.

The journalist was hired as a photographer via a third company for an article about the activities of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), and he posed for photos with its staff and uploaded the photos to social media. As a result, the Israeli embassy in Washington accused the UN body responsible for mine action of having ties to Hamas.

Israeli officials called the event a "serious scandal" and said that the incident proves once again that UN bodies employ people identified with terrorism.

However, Ynet has learned that the journalist is not part of the UN team, but was working for Sky News and was sent to prepare an article about the mine clearance department following the appointment of Luke Irving as the new head of the mine clearance unit in the Palestinian territories. Irving's team is responsible for clearing explosive remnants from the war, to allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in Gaza. The network sent an independent camera crew that went with Irving and his team on a tour and interviews in the field. The footage was shot on February 2.

The team was unaware of the journalist's background and his ties to Hamas. A spokesman for the UN peacekeeping forces said that "UNMAS has never had or has had any contact with this individual, and was not provided with any information about him before he came to film for Sky News. He is not an employee of UNMAS."

In a letter sent in recent days by Sky News to the UN and obtained by Ynet, the network apologized and admitted that he had been hired through an external production company. After his problematic past and ties to Hamas became known, contact with him and the production company that employed him was immediately terminated. The network added that they decided not to use the materials filmed by him as part of the article.

"This individual was booked as a camera operator by a third-party production company and was not known to Sky News," a Sky News spokesperson told Ynet. "When we were made aware that questions exist about the individual’s impartiality and alleged connections, we immediately made the decision not to air any of the content produced. We have now ended our relationship with the production company." "We are reviewing the relevant processes in Gaza and that work is underway internally," the spokesperson told Ynet.
Teen Vogue’s Anti-Israel Narratives Amplify Hamas Talking Points
Once known as a publication offering beauty, fashion and lifestyle advice to teenage girls, Teen Vogue has evolved into a platform that frequently platforms one-sided narratives, featuring writers who have openly expressed their support for terrorism and anti-Israel rhetoric online.

Esraa Abo Qamar’s piece, ‘Scholasticide in Gaza Means There Are Almost No Schools or Colleges Left’ is just the latest to be published in Teen Vogue’s new anti-Israel mission.

The story of Esraa Abo Qamar – who goes by Esraa Sameer on social media – is undoubtedly emotional and likely resonates deeply with Teen Vogue’s target audience. As a student at the Islamic University of Gaza, Esraa had to halt her studies in October 2023 due to the outbreak of the war. Any student passionate about their education would be heartbroken to learn that a girl the same age would be forced to abandon their studies because of conflict.

Esraa frames Israel as the perpetrator in this story, leveraging her op-ed to falsely accuse Israel of not only committing genocide, but also “scholasticide” whereby Israel is framed as deliberately destroying the education system in Gaza.

The term “scholasticide” was termed by none other than a former Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) official, Karma Nabulsi. Nabulsi worked as an international spokesperson for the PLO from 1977-1990, when the organization was at its height of launching attacks against Israel. Using an emotionally charged and baseless term coined by a former member of a terrorist organization raises serious doubts about its credibility.

Not once does Esraa mention the real culprit of the destruction of Gaza’s educational system – Hamas. Esraa fails to acknowledge that Hamas has hijacked the education system in Gaza to promote its own extremist agenda that prioritizes the destruction of the State of Israel over providing youth with a meaningful education.

This education system has clearly worked to indoctrinate Esraa, who gleefully celebrated the Iranian regime’s October 1 missile attacks on her social media, writing “God is the greatest” over a video of missiles and calling it the “best view of my life.”


MEMRI: Senior Iranian Regime Officials Claim Victory For The Iran-Led Resistance Axis, Saying The Palestinian Resistance Forced The Zionist Regime To Accept Ceasefire; Iran's Apologetic Explanation For The High Price Paid By Its Proxies: The Resistance Axis Was Merely Preemptively Defending Itself Against An Imminent Attack By Israel And The West
After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire went into effect January 19, 2025, senior Iranian regime officials, headed by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, praised the resistance of the Palestinian people for, as they depicted it, forcing Israel to submit to its demands and accept the ceasefire. Along with statements such as "the ultimate victory belongs to the Palestinian people," regime spokesmen promised that the Iran-led resistance axis would be rebuilt and continue to fight to eradicate Israel and would also continue to herald the achievements of the aim of Iran's Islamic Revolution – the imminent destruction of the State of Israel.

While Iran licks its wounds from the multi-arena struggle with Israel since the Hamas October 7, 2023 attacks on Israeli communities in southern Israel – including the elimination of resistance axis leaders, even in Tehran itself; the damage done to the resistance organizations in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen; and the significant blow to the defense apparatus of Iran itself – Iranian regime officials echoed the narrative of the resistance's triumph over Israel, and of Hamas's forcing on Israel a ceasefire that was achieved by "maintaining the spirit of the resistance and national solidarity in Palestine."[1] As Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated, "support from the other elements of the resistance [axis] forced the [Israeli] regime to agree to a ceasefire."[2]

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the first international conference on "the Flood of Al-Aqsa and Gaza – Narratives and Realities," held in Tehran in early February 2025, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed the role of the media in shaping the narrative of victory on the battlefield and in diplomacy, saying, "We may succeed on the battlefield but not in the media, and the victories we achieve may be presented as defeats in the eyes of the world. Just as there is a diplomatic battle, there is also a media battle. The winner is the one who wins the battle of narratives. One can say with complete confidence that the [Zionist] regime has never been as isolated and vilified in the world as it is today." He concluded, "Iran played its role in the victory of the resistance in the Gaza war. In the recent months, there has been no difference between the [diplomatic] arena and the battlefield. The media has been on our side, and we will continue on this path."[3]

However, in light of the public criticism of the heavy price paid by Iran in the many arenas of the war, speakers have begun highlighting the claim that "the war was forced on the resistance axis." Some argued that an Israel-U.S. plot for an attack on the resistance axis and Iran set for October 14, 2023 had been in the offing and that the October 7 operation was a preemptive strike that thwarted it. Some stated that the Israeli-Western plot was meant to be carried out by means of Zionist expansion "from the Euphrates to the Nile" or as part of a broadening of the Abraham Accords.

Expediency Council member Mohsen Rezaee, who is also secretary-general of the Coordination Council of the three branches of government and secretary of the Supreme Council for Economic Coordination, stated on January 21, 2025 that "the axis of resistance was merely defending itself" to explain the Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war on seven fronts: "America, Britain, France, and the West stood behind Israel, completely supported it, and led it to force a war on the region and on the six countries – Palestine [i.e. Gaza and the West Bank], Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran. The axis of resistance was [merely] defending itself."


Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder secures Amsterdam venue after 30 rejections
After threats led a comedy club to cancel Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder's show and suggest he seek a "Jewish venue," and despite being turned down by 30 locations, Sponder has finalized a venue for a February 23 performance.

As a precaution, the location of Sponder's Amsterdam show will be revealed to ticketholders a day before the event, according to a spokeswoman.

Sponder had been set to perform for Dutch fans on January 25 at the Boom Chicago comedy club, but two weeks before the event, a person entered the club to protest.

"Free Palestine," the activist said, according to the spokeswoman. "How dare you let this Jew perform here."

Afterward, Sponder's team reportedly discussed safety conditions with Boom, offering to provide and pay for extra security as they had needed during their entire tour.

The show seemed to be proceeding, said the spokeswoman, but during a Zoom call with an executive sales manager, the Boom representative said that they received an email calling for the cancellation of the show. They were under the impression there was a large campaign. Anti-Israel activists had reportedly called on supporters to send emails to the comedy club.

Boom decided to cancel, citing high tensions in Amsterdam and alleged consultations with the police who recommended they not hold the event.



‘Toughest ever’ hate speech laws pass in Canberra
The passage of new legislation strengthening Australia’s hate speech laws on Thursday afternoon “is a direct response to the shocking rise in antisemitism over the past year”, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus told The AJN on Thursday.

The Criminal Code Amendment (Hate Crimes) Bill 2024 creates new criminal offences and makes clear that advocating or threatening the use of force and violence is unacceptable and will be subject to serious criminal penalties.

The passage of the legislation follows the government agreeing on Wednesday to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for perpetrators of terrorism offences and displaying hate symbols.

The Bill targets the most serious forms of harmful hate speech, namely advocating and threatening the use of force or violence against a group or member of a group or against a place of worship. It is aimed at protecting groups, or members of groups, distinguished by race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, disability, nationality, national or ethnic origin or political opinion.

Dreyfus told The AJN the legislation “delivers the toughest laws Australia has ever had against hate crimes”.

“This bill is a direct response to the shocking rise in antisemitism over the past year on our streets, at our schools and in our communities,” he said.

“No government has done more to combat the abhorrent and shocking rise in antisemitism than this government. The Hate Crimes bill follows our landmark laws which criminalised the public display of Nazi and terrorist organisation symbols, the Nazi salute and doxxing.

“The overwhelming vote in our national parliament sends a clear and unambiguous message that antisemitic acts are criminal acts and will not be tolerated.”

Welcoming the legislation, Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) co-CEO Peter Wertheim said the bipartisanship on the issue “sends a powerful and much-needed message of zero tolerance to potential perpetrators of these offences”.

“We have seen too many examples of such behaviour going unpunished, such as the disgraceful antisemitic threats and hatred that featured at the Sydney Opera House steps on October 9, 2023. No one was even charged, let alone convicted,” Wertheim said.
NSW Premier strengthens hate speech laws to combat antisemitic attacks
NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced a series of reforms to combat spiralling antisemitic attacks targeting Sydney’s Jewish community, including a new criminal offence for intentionally inciting racial hatred.

Displaying Nazi symbols on or near synagogues will be a criminal offence, with a proposed maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment.

The package of reforms will help give police and the community additional powers and resources to respond to acts of racial violence and hatred.

“We have seen disgusting acts of racial hatred and antisemitism,” said Minns.

“These are strong new laws, and they need to be because these attacks have to stop. NSW is a multicultural state, and these acts designed to intimidate and divide will not work.

“These laws have been drafted in response to the horrifying antisemitic violence in our community but it’s important to note that they will apply to anyone, preying on any person, of any religion.

“If you commit these acts, you will face severe penalties, and we make no apologies for that.”
Melbourne man faces jail for waving Hezbollah flag at protest
A Broadmeadows man was charged for waving a Hezbollah flag in Melbourne, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced, serving him with a notice and court summons on Thursday.

The 34-year-old is set to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on March 19 for displaying the symbol of a prohibited terrorist organization at a September 29 rally.

“The AFP is relentlessly pursuing evidence and identifying those who allegedly displayed prohibited symbols at the Melbourne protest in 2024,” AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said in a statement. “Investigators have reviewed more than 100 hours of CCTV footage, police body-worn camera footage, and vision taken at the Melbourne protest and will continue exploring every avenue to identify those involved.”

The summons was issued under Special Operation Avalite, which was formed in December in response to rising antisemitic crime in the country.

In December, the AFP charged another Melbourne area man for displaying a Hezbollah flag at the same protest.
Crawley to ban fan for antisemitic abuse of owners
Crawley Town intend to hand out a lifetime stadium ban to a fan for antisemitic abuse the club believes was directed at one of its Jewish owners.

The League One club hosted a fans' forum on Thursday, where members of the board, including owner Preston Johnson, fielded questions from supporters.

Crawley said "witnesses and victims" had noticed one attendee making "derogatory, antisemitic comments and gestures on several occasions during the event".

"The club has subsequently confirmed those reports after reviewing video footage", Crawley said in a statement., external

"These actions are an unacceptable violation of our community's values. They have no place in our club or our sport, and we take them extremely seriously.

"The club will pursue the toughest possible punishments - including a lifetime ban from the stadium. We have also referred the matter to local law enforcement for further review and any appropriate legal action.

"While we believe these actions were directed at one of our Jewish owners, we sincerely apologise to any Crawley Town Football Club supporter who was impacted or offended by this incident.

"We remain committed to building a club culture where people from all walks of life and religions feel safe and welcome."


The former civil rights lawyer leading the Trump administration’s fight against antisemitism
On the third day that President Donald Trump was back in office, former Fox News contributor Leo Terrell woke up and signed onto X. The civil rights lawyer and former-Democrat-turned-Trump-acolyte spent the morning in a very Trump-like manner: governing by tweet.

Terrell was just beginning a new position at the Department of Justice as senior counsel to Harmeet Dhillon, Trump’s as-yet-unconfirmed nominee to be assistant attorney general for civil rights, when he sent a series of tweets decrying allegations of antisemitism at Columbia University and pledging to take action against it.

“I want antisemitic conduct [to] stop now! Federal action is necessary and mandatory!” he wrote in one early morning post.

“Attention Board of Trustees of all colleges and universities allowing antisemitic behavior to take place. You have a fiduciary duty to protect Jewish students! Expect a letter from me in the immediate future!” Terrell, who is 70, wrote in another.

Terrell’s tweets that morning revealed an interest in using his role to combat antisemitism, a goal that was bolstered by this week’s announcement that Terrell will lead a multiagency task force focused on antisemitism, particularly at schools and on college campuses.

“Antisemitism in any environment is repugnant to this nation’s ideals,” Terrell said in a statement announcing the task force. “The department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found.”

Despite his apparent personal interest in fighting antisemitism, Terrell does not have many connections to advocates in the Jewish community who work on the issue. Ken Marcus, the founder and chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and a senior Education Department official in Trump’s first term, told Jewish Insider he has never met Terrell.

“Great messaging though,” Marcus said. “His social media postings have been a real source of encouragement.”


‘Unqualified support’ for Israel, bipartisan Senate leaders tell Netanyahu
U.S. senators on both sides of the aisle welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with “much esteem” during a “warm and friendly” meeting on Thursday, per an Israeli readout of the meeting.

Senate leaders, including Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), “expressed unqualified support for the prime minister and the State of Israel and commended Israel’s achievements in the war,” according to Netanyahu’s office.

“It was a pleasure to host Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Capitol today,” Thune stated. “The friendship between the United States and Israel strengthens both of our countries.” Netanyahu ThuneU.S. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Capitol Hill, Feb. 6, 2025. Credit: Avi Ohayon/GPO.

During the meeting, Netanyahu stated that Iran must be prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons and that Hamas “had to be eliminated in Gaza,” positions with which Senate leaders agreed, according to the Israeli readout.

The Senate leaders committed to passing a law against the International Criminal Court, a stand-alone court in The Hague, which isn’t part of the United Nations, according to Netanyahu’s office. (In January, Senate Democrats blocked a bill sanctioning the court, whose prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the former Israeli defense minister.)

“The senators asked the prime minister how Israel has succeeded in doing what it has done in the multi-front war, to which he replied that the great achievements in the war are due to the heroism of our soldiers and our people,” per the Israeli readout.

“After our meeting today with Netanyahu, I’m more hopeful that the ongoing ceasefire can be extended, so more hostages can be released and more humanitarian aid provided,” stated Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). “Both Hamas and Israel should accept it—as the only path to peace and stability and rebuilding Gaza.”


This Time We Have an Army
I got up at 5:30 a.m. to meet my granddaughter Barr, who had been up all night taking turns as a stretcher bearer, carrying one of her soldier buddies on the traditional 30 km. "Stretcher March" the soldiers must complete before they are awarded the Homefront Command's Search and Rescue brigade's beret.

While we waited in the rain and cold for Barr's company, my phone reminded me that it was also International Holocaust Day. It's difficult not to compare. But this time we have an army.

Finally, I saw Barr. Another soldier took over her stretcher-bearer duties when she spotted us.

It's difficult to hug a soldier dressed in full battle gear: tactical vest both front and back, helmet, M-16 rifle. How can you kiss a face with black, white and green camouflage paint?

I say a little prayer of thanks and appreciation for all our soldiers and gratitude that I am here to see it.
Israel Advocacy Movement: Jewish man REFUSES TO COWER when cornered by angry mob



Buy EoZ's books  on Amazon!

"He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024)

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

    
 

 



AddToAny

Printfriendly

EoZTV Podcast

Podcast URL

Subscribe in podnovaSubscribe with FeedlyAdd to netvibes
addtomyyahoo4Subscribe with SubToMe

search eoz

comments

Speaking

Speaking

translate

E-Book

For $18 donation








Sample Text

EoZ's Most Popular Posts in recent years

Search2

Hasbys!

Hasbys!

2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee

Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



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.

Donate!

Donate to fight for Israel!

Monthly subscription:
Payment options


One time donation:

Follow EoZ on Twitter!

Interesting Blogs

Show All

Blog Archive

Copyright © Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News | Powered by Blogger
Blogger Templates