Saturday, April 05, 2025

04/05 Links: The lies behind the Gaza casualty figures; BBC Arabic journalist describes Jews as ‘devils,’ defended Oct. 7 during massacre; The Al Aqsa-fication Of Federal Research Grants

From Ian:

NYPost Editorial: Pray Israel’s new war plan crushes Hamas, frees the hostages — and ends the war
Gazans are taking to the streets, rightly blaming Hamas and calling for its ouster, along with the release of hostages and an end to the war.

Plus, Israel is dealing with a far more supportive White House.

President Donald Trump himself has called for the evacuation of Gaza, so it can be rebuilt.

Alas, Arab neighbors have refused to take them — a decades-old position that’s effectively made Gazans prisoners of Hamas.

Instead, these countries have traditionally encouraged Palestinians to wage war on Israel, mostly as a way to distract from their own domestic shortcomings.

Even now, Saudi Arabia — which would love Israel as an ally and an economic trading partner — says the war must end and a pathway to a Palestinian state be created before it normalizes ties with the Jewish state.

That just hardens Palestinian expectations and emboldens Hamas.

Some non-Arab states, too, have in effect promoted war and imprisoned Gazans, leaving them to Hamas’ mercy by siding with Israel’s would-be destroyers.

Would, say, Ireland — one of the most anti-Israel states in the West — take in Palestinians begging for refuge there? Fat chance.

Thus, short of a Trump-style evacuation, Israel must fight on: It can’t, and won’t, agree to any “permanent” cease-fire that lets Hamas survive.

Such a truce would be permanent . . . up until the next time Hamas launched an Oct. 7-style slaughterfest, as it explicitly vows to do.

Israel’s new strategy is no surefire quick solution. But it may be its best hope.

And the sooner the world gets fully behind Israel’s efforts, the sooner the war will be over.
John Spencer: The lies behind the Gaza casualty figures and the thousands of names removed without explanation
Credible media reports and US government officials, including the National Security Council, have acknowledged that the GHM’s numbers frequently conflate combatants and civilians and lack crucial context about how, where, and under what circumstances individuals died. This lack of transparency contrasts sharply with the moral and legal weight often assigned to such statistics by international organizations and advocacy groups.

In my research on the conduct of war in urban settings, I’ve emphasized how difficult it is to calculate accurate casualty ratios during or immediately after combat operations. In cities, civilians, fighters, and infrastructure exist in close proximity. Combatants use civilian structures and populations as cover.

The tactical reality of these environments complicates targeting, amplifies risk, and obscures accountability.

Critically, the laws of war do not require militaries to report casualty counts to prove compliance with the law. The proportionality principle within the laws of armed conflict requires commanders to assess the expected military advantage of a strike against the anticipated risk to civilians before executing an operation.

It does not judge legality based on post-event casualty numbers — particularly when such figures are produced by non-transparent, politically motivated actors.

The growing practice of using unverifiable or distorted casualty statistics to make moral or legal declarations about military conduct misrepresents how the laws of war are intended to function. Casualty numbers, especially when supplied by entities like Hamas, should not be the foundation of international judgment. Warfare is not a numbers game.

Legal compliance in war must be judged based on the intent of the action, the precautions taken, the proportionality analysis conducted in planning, and the efforts made to mitigate civilian harm — not on manipulated or incomplete casualty spreadsheets.

Until casualty figures are verified through independent, transparent processes, they should not be used to draw definitive conclusions about the legality or morality of military actions.

The world must move away from using raw numbers — especially those produced by biased or non-transparent sources — as shortcuts to legal and moral judgment.

That is not how the laws of war work, nor is it how war itself operates. Analysts, journalists, policymakers, and the public must demand a higher standard of rigor and context before allowing questionable data to shape international perceptions and policy.

The recent revelation by Honest Reporting, combined with findings from other investigations, confirms what many have long suspected: the casualty figures most often cited to condemn Israeli actions in Gaza are not just flawed — they are fundamentally unreliable and politically manipulated.
This Book on the Jewish Connection to Israel Is a Must Read
Ben M. Freeman’s The Jews: An Indigenous People deserves a spot on every Jewish person’s bookshelf, but especially Jews engaged in fighting the war in defense of Israel on campuses and elsewhere.

As the latest installment in his Jewish Pride trilogy, this book builds upon his previous explorations of Jewish identity and internalized anti-Jewishness, presenting a compelling argument for Jewish indigeneity to the Land of Israel — stressing this concept not only as essential to rebutting charges that Israel is a “settler-colonial” endeavor, but also as essential to Jewish identity and self-understanding.

The book is not only a historical analysis, but a call to action for Jews to reclaim their indigenous status with pride and conviction.

Freeman establishes his central thesis at the start: Jews are an indigenous people of the Land of Israel, and systematically dismantles the misconceptions that frame Jews solely as a religious group or as a people defined by exile and victimhood. Instead, he presents them as a distinct ethnonational group whose cultural, spiritual, and historical roots are deeply embedded in their ancestral homeland.

Importantly, his approach aligns with the framework actually used by global indigenous movements everywhere else, which assert indigeneity based on historical continuity, cultural persistence, and connection to the land, among other factors. Without the double standards that are all too frequently applied to the Jews, the case for Jewish indigeneity is actually quite cut and dry.

In particular, Freeman dedicates significant attention to the United Nations’ criteria for indigeneity, demonstrating how Jews meet these standards nearly perfectly. I say “nearly” because of the seven key criteria, one does fail to apply — namely the criterion that the “indigenous” people must be a minority in that land. But, as he rightly points out, this criterion is absurd: should an indigenous people who manage to reclaim their land suddenly no longer count as indigenous?

One wonders — although the book does not address this — if that criterion was adopted specifically to exclude Jewish indigeneity to the Land of Israel.

Freeman backs up his argument with historical discussions that are both thorough and accessible. He takes the reader on a journey through Jewish history, from the early origins of the Israelites in the land that would become Israel, through the ancient Jewish kingdoms, the destruction of the Second Temple, and the subsequent diasporic experiences. His discussion of the Hasmonean period and the Bar Kokhba revolt highlights the Jews’ continuous struggle to maintain sovereignty over their homeland. This history directly refutes the anti-Zionists’ claim that Jewish connection to Israel is a modern political construct rather than an intrinsic and ancient reality.

And this isn’t just a history book. Freeman demonstrates how the denial of Jewish indigeneity fuels contemporary Jew-hate. He critiques the ways in which colonial frameworks have been misapplied to Israel and Zionism, showing how anti-Zionist rhetoric relies on distortions of Jewish history. He argues that rejecting Jewish indigeneity is not only intellectually dishonest, but also serves to weaken Jewish identity and agency.
Tony Burke, Australian Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs


Douglas Murray: Israel’s horrific loss on Oct 7th was equivalent to murder of 8,400 Brits, yet many support Hamas – I fear for the UK
ON May 22, 2017 a suicide bomber walked into the ­Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert.

He detonated the bomb he was carrying and killed 22 people, mainly young women.

On October 7, 2023, hundreds of terrorists descended on another ­concert — a dance-party in the ­middle of the Israeli desert.

Both attacks were inspired by the same jihadist ideology.

The Manchester Arena bomber was inspired by IS. The attackers in Israel were mainly from Hamas.

But they all shared the same death wish and the same desire to bring terror to innocent people who they regard as “infidels”.

In the aftermath of October 7 — a day on which 1,200 Israelis were killed and another 250 were kidnapped — I travelled to report on the horrors.

Among many of the dead and wounded I met with survivors of the Nova party. It was an event where hundreds of young people dancing in the early morning were suddenly attacked — raped, tortured and murdered.

At one gathering of survivors, a man who had seen friends lynched before his eyes said to me: “What would you do if this happened in your own country.” I thought (but didn’t say to him): “But it has.”

Not on the same scale. But on that terrible night in Manchester, Britain got a glimpse of this terror.

As we did on London Bridge (twice), Westminster Bridge, and in July 2005 and many other times.

It was the same terror that radical Islamists brought to Paris in November 2015 when their targets included people attending a rock concert at the ­Bataclan theatre. That night in Paris 131 people were slaughtered.

In recent years almost every ­Western society has suffered at the hands of people fuelled by the same radical ideology. Yet none has yet suffered to the extent that Israel did on October 7.

In a country of just nine million people, the attacks were the ­equivalent of 12 9/11s in one day. Or a mass attack in the UK in which 8,400 British people were killed and another 1,750 taken hostage.

Whatever state our country may be in, no one can tell me that if that happened here we would not respond to such an attack.

Nobody can tell me that we would not want to tear up the earth to kill the people who carried out such an atrocity, and do everything in our power to return our hostages.

For over a year Israel has been fighting its war against Hamas. And as I saw up close, in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon, within a year of the war’s start Israel had a massive set of successes.


'Post' editor Zvika Klein sets the record straight on Qatargate in first interview
The Jerusalem Post's editor-in-chief, Zvika Klein, gave his first interview, aired on Saturday, since being questioned by the police regarding the 'Qatargate' affair earlier this week, which alleges connections between Qatar and the Prime Minister’s Office.

"It all started with a phone call from [Yonatan] Urich during the 2022 World Cup," Klein explained.

After publishing an article in the Post criticizing the ban on bringing kosher meat into Qatar, Urich, who then served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson in the opposition, called him. "Urich told me, 'Listen, I have a friend who works with them, and this bothers him,'" Klein recalled.

Later, Urich introduced Klein to Srulik Einhorn. "Einhorn is a very talented guy," Klein said. "When someone arranges for you to meet the former Chancellor of Austria and other prime ministers for interviews, you say, he’s legit," Klein explained. He stressed that for a year and a half, he initiated the connections, stating his interest in it.

Fifty days after the October 7 massacre and the start of the Israel-Hamas War, Klein reached out to Einhorn again.

“He tells me: It’s not me, I’m not involved with them anymore. I have a friend in England—his name’s Ryan… He says: we’ll bring the Qatari ambassador to your Jerusalem Post conference in Germany.”

The ambassador did attend the conference: “The fact that we brought him—that’s already a statement. A Zionist Israeli newspaper, that’s a big deal.”

Klein noted that one of his conditions for the ambassador's attendance at the event was that the latter commit on stage to facilitating the return of the hostages.

"As far as I’m concerned, I did what we call a 'Kiddush Hashem' (sanctification of God's name), Klein said. "I don’t like them [the Qataris], but I elevated them [for the cause of returning the hostages]."

In early 2024, Klein recalled that Einhorn contacted him again, suggesting he visit Qatar.

"They want you to come," Einhorn said. Klein was then referred to Jay Footlik, a lobbyist for Qatar.


BBC Arabic freelance journalist describes Jews as ‘devils,’ defended Oct. 7 during massacre
Ahmed Alagha, a freelance journalist repeatedly used by the BBC, has made a number of controversial antisemitic and anti-Israel social media posts, including defending the October 7 massacre and describing Jews as “devils.”

The posts, first reported on by British newspaper The Telegraph on Saturday, included comments such as, “The Jews, they are the devils of the hypocrites” on videos featuring Israeli strikes on Gaza carried out after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks. Antisemitism is at a record high. We're keeping our eyes on it >>

“And as we know, the ‘Israelis’ are not human beings to begin with, rather they are not even beasts. Perhaps they belong to a race for which no description can capture the extent of their lust and sadism,” Alagha wrote in another post. “That’s just one snapshot. What if we were to compile all their crimes across that entire dark/black history, from the moment of occupation up until now? It is the entity of filth, and the unrivalled swamp of wickedness.”

The journalist’s post on Jews and Israel pre-date the commencement of the war against Hamas. In January 2023, following a terrorist attack near a Jerusalem synagogue on Holocaust Memorial Day, Alagha wrote, “This martyr stole my heart, he alone killed eight Zionists.”

The youngest victim of the attack was 14-year-old Asher Natan.

Several of Alagha’s posts were deleted from X after he was approached by The Telegraph for comment, the British newspaper reported. The Jerusalem Post was able to view a number of other controversial X/Twitter posts despite this.

On October 7, the day terrorists invaded southern Israel in breach of an existing ceasefire and massacred 1,200 people, Alagha posted, “Remove your emotions, no matter how hideous their situation is. May God continue to strengthen the occupation, nor raise their status, nor grant them justice, nor guide their aim. They are the corrupt party in this case, my friend. No honorable blood is being shed for them, nor are they right. The truth is clear. The truth never dies. #AlAqsa_Flood”

He later posted, “O God, oppress the Israeli occupation and its supporters. O God, glorify Islam and Muslims.”

Alagha’s social media history also included examples of historic antisemitic stereotypes. One post retweeted by the journalist said: “God, deal with the Jews. Those who break covenants and promises. They do not enjoy what is right…They claimed that they killed Jesus, peace be upon him, took the calf, transgressed the Sabbath, killed the prophets, concealed the testimony of God Almighty, followed their desires, and exchanged God’s blessing for disbelief. They loved money more than God…”

The BBC's response
A BBC spokesman said: “International journalists, including the BBC, are not allowed access to Gaza, so we hear from a range of contributors in the region. Ahmed Alagha was a contributor. He is not a BBC member of staff or part of the BBC’s reporting team. In this instance, we were unaware of the contributor’s social media activity prior to hearing from him.

“His views were not expressed on a BBC platform, his posts do not reflect the BBC’s view and we are absolutely clear that there is no place for anti-Semitism on our services.”


Iran enlisted drug trafficker in failed plot to kill Azerbaijan rabbi — report
Iran recruited a Georgian drug trafficker to assassinate an Azerbaijani rabbi as part of a plot that was foiled in January, according to a report published Saturday morning.

The Washington Post said the scheme was launched last fall when Iran’s Quds Force, the overseas arms of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, met with Agil Aslanov, a prominent drug kingpin from Georgia, recruiting him to facilitate the assassination.

The Quds Force reportedly promised the would-be hitman $200,000 for killing Rabbi Shenor Segal and attacking an education center.

The newspaper said Aslanov recruited an Azerbaijani local and began surveilling the rabbi.

The plot was discovered by Azerbaijan’s security services, and Aslanov and the local accomplice were arrested in January, the report added, citing unnamed security officials from the Middle East and Western countries.

The two were charged with conspiring to commit a terrorist act.

Azerbaijan’s state security service said in a statement that Aslanov “worked to collect information about a member of a religious community, and sent the location of his residence and workplace to a representative of a foreign special service agency via the appropriate mobile phone application.”

The statement did not name Segal as the target, but his identity was widely reported in the local press.

In response, Segal told The Washington Post that he’d only learned about the plot after it was reported in the media. He added that he still feels safe in Azerbaijan, despite the Iranian attempt to have him killed.

“We live here peacefully. I walk on the streets here, and there is no fear,” Segal said.


Germany is failing to keep its most meaningful promise to protect Jews
Germany is paralyzed, caught between “Refugees Welcome” and “Never Again.” But these are not mutually exclusive ideals. It is not impossible to balance Germany’s historic responsibility to provide safety for the Jewish people with its modern commitment to international empathy. This is not a trade-off or a zero-sum game.

In fact, a more regulated and responsible migration policy can both improve the security of Germany’s Jewish population and take the wind out of the sails of far-right parties like the AfD, who profit from governmental paralysis and use migrants as scapegoats.

It is a horrifying truth: Once again, Jews in Germany are being forced into hiding. Many are choosing not to wear the Star of David necklace passed down to them by their grandparents. Synagogues and community centers are surrounded by tall fences and guarded by heavily armed police. In classrooms and universities, Jewish students hesitate to speak up, afraid of being targeted or blamed for things they have no connection to.

Antisemitism never truly left Germany; it simply evolved. What was once largely the domain of far-right extremists has taken on new forms: leftist and Islamist antisemitism, a disturbing trend that has accelerated dramatically since the October 7 Hamas massacre, and found fertile ground in segments of Germany’s growing migrant population.

But the roots of this problem run deeper than October 7. The increase in Islamist antisemitism began years earlier, particularly during the refugee crisis of 2015. That year alone, Germany welcomed approximately 890,000 people fleeing war, terror, and persecution from countries like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

It was a noble and profoundly moral gesture. Germany, a country that once orchestrated the most horrific genocide in human history, transformed itself into Europe’s most welcoming haven for those in need.

Yet, Germany’s good intentions were not matched by effective policy. Its migration approach lacked coordination, and its integration programs were not prepared to address the cultural, religious, and often systemic antisemitism brought in from some of these countries.
Two British MPs denied entry to Israel due to 'intention to spread hate speech'
Two British MPs, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, were denied entrance to Israel on Saturday, after an investigation reportedly revealed that the two wished to enter the country to document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred, Israel's Population and Immigration Authority announced.

The two parliamentarians landed at Ben-Gurion Airport at 2:30 pm on Saturday after flying in from Luton with their two aides.

At airport security, the passengers claimed to be part of an official delegation visiting Israel on behalf of the British parliament.

However, the Population and Immigration Authority claimed this was untrue as no official in Israel had approved the arrival of the delegation.

During questioning, the passengers reportedly revealed that the purpose of their arrival was to "document security forces and spread hate speech against Israel."

As a result, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel decided to refuse entry to the four and subsequently ordered their removal from Israel.

However, on Saturday night, British foreign secretary David Lammy confirmed it was indeed a parliamentary delegation. "It is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities."

"I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British Parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support."
The Al Aqsa-fication Of Federal Research Grants
University research is the academy’s al Aqsa Mosque. The liberal administrations are the waqf which demand absolute control. They are warning everyone that should the status quo change because Jewish human rights and dignity are trampled with impunity, people will die.

Universities are bemoaning the “Judaization” of their research, as they feel under assault by unholy people in their sacred domain. When Israel introduced metal detectors onto the Temple Mount after Islamic radicals started to stockpile weapons on the site, the faithful rioted and managed to get Israel to remove the protective measures. The universities are now engaged in similar protests seeking the same goal: purity without oversight and guardrails.

Liberals see the Trump administration seizing grants like Jews moving into homes in Jerusalem’s Old City. A governmental audit of the purpose of research is vilified like archeological excavations near the Temple Mount. All are condemned as acts of sabotage which threaten the very stability of society.

The discussion of the government’s oversight and control of billions of dollars of research grants is inflaming passions. Like the Islamic faithful who rally when they see Jewish presence near al Aqsa, the global academy is outraged at the challenge to the “status quo” of unfiltered money. The Mourabitoun (men) and Mourabitat (women) on university campuses have taken up positions both physical and ideological.

As the world watches Jews being routed from universities without basic protections, we are witnessing the emergence of a new blood libel, that Jews will be the root cause of millions of deaths as medical research is cut.

There is the holy and profane. The world is normalizing and entrenching antisemitism by placing the Islamic waqf and elite universities on the side of the angels, while simultaneously accusing Jews of being aligned with the underworld for the audacity of demanding basic human rights.


UN renews Albanese’s mandate until 2028 despite history of antisemitism
The UN Human Rights Council renewed the tenure of Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on the situation of human rights in the “Palestinian territory occupied since 1967” during a vote on Saturday.

Albanese herself confirmed the results of the vote with multiple posts on X/Twitter.

The confirmation comes despite opposition from the US, UN Watch, and hundreds of thousands of petitioners.

On Thursday, Geneva-based NGO UN Watch submitted a petition with 100,000 signatures against renewing Albanese’s tenure.

Also, on Thursday, the United States mission to the UN sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stating that it opposes the renewal of Albanese’s role as UN special rapporteur due to her “virulent antisemitism, which demonizes Israel and supports Hamas,” the mission confirmed on X.

“She has clearly violated the UN’s code of conduct and is unfit for her role,” its post continued.

On Tuesday, Rep. Brian Mast (R–Florida, 21st District) – chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee – sent a letter to the president of the UN Human Rights Council expressing objection to Albanese’s term renewal, which would involve a second term of three years.

Mast wrote that UN special rapporteurs have a duty to uphold the code of conduct as written in Council Resolution 5/2, which states that they must act in an independent and impartial capacity.


IDF shares initial details from Gaza ambulance probe, says troops told UN of burial site
The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged on Saturday evening that it had been incorrect in its initial account of an incident in southern Gaza’s Rafah last month during which troops fired on Palestinian emergency vehicles, killing 14 or 15 medics whose bodies were later recovered from a mass grave.

On Saturday, the army detailed the initial findings from its investigation of the incident, which it said was ongoing. It asserted that at least six of those killed had been posthumously identified as Hamas operatives, denied that any of those killed had been executed, and said troops had not attempted to hide the incident but rather had informed the UN of the location of the grave.

After the incident came to light, the military, which accuses Hamas of embedding itself in civilian infrastructure, had initially said the vehicles were without headlights or emergency lights, were uncoordinated, and arrived on the scene shortly after a group of terror operatives. As such, the IDF said soldiers deemed them “suspicious” and opened fire.

On Saturday, however, The New York Times published a video that appeared to show the emergency vehicles were clearly marked and had their emergency lights on when the IDF opened fire.

UN officials have said that 15 medics were killed by Israeli fire, while the military said that 14 people were killed and one survived.

Palestinians have accused Israeli forces of attempting to cover up the incident by burying the bodies in a mass grave. Claims have also emerged that some of the bodies had their hands tied and were seemingly shot dead from close range.

Following the emergence of the video Saturday, the military said that Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor would be re-investigating the incident. The complete findings will be presented to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Sunday.


IDF downs Houthi drone; Trump shares video of purported US strike on the rebels
Israeli air defenses on Friday evening downed a drone launched from Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

A statement from the military on the interception said the drone was launched at Israel “from the east.”

The drone was shot down over the Arava area in southern Israel. Sirens were not activated in any towns.

The Houthis later took responsibility for the attack, claiming to have targeted a “military target” in the Tel Aviv area.

Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched at least 10 ballistic missiles at Israel.

The Houthis on Friday also claimed to have shot down an American reconnaissance drone over Yemen, where American forces have carried out major raids in recent weeks in response to the rebel group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping.

US President Donald Trump posted a video purportedly showing an American strike killing dozens of Houthi fighters, adding the comment “oops.”

Resembling images shot from military drones or other loitering aircraft, the black-and-white footage Trump posted to his Truth Social network shows several dozen human figures from an almost vertical angle.

“These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack,” Trump wrote in an accompanying text.

Gathered in a loose oval along a road, the people in the video are superimposed with a gun camera-style crosshair. A few seconds in, a bright flash appears in the middle of the scene, followed by billowing smoke.

The footage cuts to a wider shot showing a column of smoke over the apparent impact site and several vehicles parked further up the road. The camera then cuts closer again to show a broad crater at the point of impact. No bodies are readily identifiable.

“Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis,” Trump wrote.

“They will never sink our ships again!”


Two hostages recognized in latest Hamas propaganda footage
The Hamas terrorist organization released a “promo” on Saturday of a propaganda video with two Israelis who have been held in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023.

The family of hostage Maxim Herkin said it recognized his voice, marking the first sign of life from Herkin since he was abducted 547 days ago.

The family requested not to publish any footage or photos from the video that is expected to be released in full later on.

Bar Abraham Kupershtein, 23, was the second captive recognized in the video, which also marked the first sign of life from him since his abduction 18 months ago.

Instead of fleeing the festival, Bar—then a 21-year-old security guard—stayed behind to help the wounded, shuttling victims to safety four times before he was taken captive, his father said.

Both men were kidnapped from the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im during the Hamas-led onslaught on Oct. 7, as thousands of terrorists invaded the Jewish state and slaughtered roughly 1,200 people.

Herkin’s family said it was Maxim’s first trance festival.

Herkin, 36, a dual Israeli-Russian citizen, is from Tirat Carmel, south of Haifa, and has a 3-year-old daughter.

He is the son of a single mother and has an 11-year-old brother, and acts as the family’s father figure.

Maxim’s friends pleaded with him to attend the Supernova party near Gaza and agreed on the spur of the moment. His plan was to stay for a few hours only. After the first barrage of Gazan rockets he texted his mother that “Everything is alright, I’m making my way home slowly.”

A few minutes later he sent a message that read, “Mother, I love you.”

His family has not heard from him since.

This was not the first propaganda footage released by Hamas involving Israeli hostages.

On March 24, the terrorist group released video footage showing signs of life of hostages Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana, 535 days after they were taken captive during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Bohbot was previously last seen in video footage of the terrorist attacks, crumpled on the floor with his face bloodied and eyes wide with fear.


Five new documentaries shed light on the post-October 7 American experience
A host of new documentaries is showcasing a wide array of experiences stemming from the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, and its aftermath, particularly in the United States.

The shock assault saw Hamas invade southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza — and with it, a worldwide spike in antisemitism and anti-Israel activity.

Three of the movies — including one in wide release — interview Jewish Americans about their experience with antisemitism on campus and beyond.

Another documentary takes cameras inside the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel student encampments last spring. It features as a narrator one protester who has become a symbol of US President Donald Trump’s campus crackdown on what the White House has called “Hamas sympathizers.”

And a fifth, coming to Paramount+ later this month, pays special attention to the children who experienced the Hamas onslaught firsthand, some of whom were held hostage or lost family members.

Here’s a rundown of the many October 7-related options on large and small screens.
FDD Morning Brief | feat. Emily Schrader (Apr. 4)
HEADLINE 1: On Wednesday, the IDF struck what it described as “remaining military capabilities” that belonged to the former Bashar al-Assad regime.

HEADLINE 2: The IDF is establishing a new security corridor in southern Gaza.

HEADLINE 3: Russia and Iran’s deputy foreign ministers spoke with each other about Iran’s nuclear program.

HEADLINE 4: The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a network of Houthi financiers and procurement operatives.


John Anderson: Islam Examined | Dr. Mark Durie and Dr. Richard Shumack
John speaks with Islam scholars Dr. Mark Durie and Dr. Richard Shumack to explore the complex relationship between Islam and Western culture, drawing a contrast between Muhammad’s leadership, shaped by military endeavors, and Jesus’s Gospel of peace. They discuss how Islam’s foundational texts—the Quran and Hadiths—emphasise submission and sacred struggle, which stands in tension with Western values like freedom and the rule of law. A lack of theological literacy in the West obscures the roots of current challenges, including Hamas’ extremism and rising anti-Semitism.

The dialogue examines broader differences, contrasting Islam’s historical pursuit of authority with the West’s vitality, rooted in principles of love and rational inquiry. Dr. Durie and Dr. Shumack observe that Islam's narratives of victimhood and a rejection of modernity hinders progress, while Christianity’s call to "love your enemies" fosters resilience and growth.

Dr Mark Durie is a pastor and academic. He writes and speaks on a wide range of topics which include the connection between faith and culture, freedom of religion, the persecution of religious minorities, and the origin and history of Islam. A graduate of the Australian National University and the Australian College of Theology, he has held visiting appointments at the University of Leiden, MIT, UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, and Stanford and also held a variety of positions during the 1980’s and 1990’s at Melbourne University. He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1992 for his work in linguistics. He is the author of Double Minded and The Third Choice.

Dr Richard Shumack is a philosopher of religion specialising in Muslim and Christian belief. He teaches regularly on ministry in Muslim contexts in Australian colleges, universities, churches and schools. He is the author of Jesus Through Muslim Eyes and Witnessing to Western Muslims.

00:00 - Introduction
1:44 - The Influence of Religion on Society
4:31 - Origins of Islam and the Quran
9:04 - Are There Any Nominal Muslims?
12:21 - What is a Caliphate and Does Islam Support Democracy?
17:33 - What Does an Islamised Society Look Like?
29:00 - Interpreting the Quran
34:03 - God’s Love in the Quran
44:56 - What About the Crusades?
49:45 - Jihad vs The Religion of Peace
58:01 - Islamophobia & Victimhood
1:07:23 - Hamas' Genocidal Constitution
1:11:40 - Sunni vs Shia Muslims
1:23:46 - The Success of Islamic Societies
1:28:44 - Islam vs The West
1:36:00 - The Bible vs The Quran


Sadiq Khan ACCUSED Of Spreading Hamas Propaganda By Israel
As Israel accuses Sir Sadiq Khan of spreading Hamas propaganda, journalist Nicole Lampert says he's "trying to rile up anger" by repeating Hamas' talking points.

"He's deliberately dividing Londoners up into good Londoners and bad Londoners."




Pennsylvania Jewish groups condemn ‘genocide’ slogan on Gisele Fetterman’s charity
Several Jewish groups condemned a sheet that was draped over a charity store run by Sen. John Fetterman’s wife, Gisele, accusing the couple of “genocide.”

The sheet, draped over Gisele Fetterman’s Free Store in Braddock, Pennsylvania, reads “Genocide John, Genocide Gisele, Blood on your hands.”

A coalition of Jewish groups, including several Jewish federations in the state, called the act “inappropriate and counterproductive.”

John Fetterman is among the most outspoken Democratic supporters of Israel in the Senate. He and Gisele recently traveled to the country, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gifted him a silver-plated beeper as an homage to an anti-Hezbollah military operation last year.

His stance has made him a frequent target of protests, but until this week, he tweeted, they had focused on his home and workplace. Braddock, where John Fetterman served as mayor for more than a decade, is a low-income postindustrial town, and Gisele’s store aims to help area residents by distributing surplus goods at no cost. It is housed in a brightly painted shipping container.
Anti-Israel protester infiltrates Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebrations
A pro-Palestinian protester interrupted the keynote event of Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration Friday, the latest backlash over the tech industry’s work to supply artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli military.

The protest happened as Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman was presenting product updates and a long-term vision for the company’s AI assistant product, Copilot, to an audience that included Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer.

“Mustafa, shame on you,” shouted a woman in the audience. “You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military.”

She claimed 50,000 people have died and described it as a genocide.

“Thank you for your protest, I hear you,” Suleyman said. The protester continued, shouting that he and “all of Microsoft” had blood on their hands.

An investigation by The Associated Press revealed earlier this year that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI had been used as part of an Israeli military program to select bombing targets during the recent wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The story also contained details of an errant Israeli airstrike in 2023 that struck a vehicle carrying members of a Lebanese family, killing three young girls and their grandmother.

In February, five Microsoft employees were ejected from a meeting with CEO Satya Nadella for protesting the contracts. While the February event was an internal meeting, Friday’s protest was far more public — a livestreamed showcase of the company’s past and future.

“We provide many avenues for all voices to be heard,” said a statement from the company Friday. “Importantly, we ask that this be done in a way that does not cause a business disruption. If that happens, we ask participants to relocate. We are committed to ensuring our business practices uphold the highest standards.”


Murals at DC Protest Honor Terrorists
Murals honoring Hamas and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorists were featured Saturday at a protest that American Muslims for Palestine, a group recently accused of serving as Hamas’s "propaganda arm in New York City," helped organize.

Several Hamas flags, including one depicting a militant of the terror group, were also spotted among the crowd of thousands of protesters, many of whom bused in from across the country. Speakers included Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director Nihad Awad, who once said he was "happy to see" Hamas attack Israel, notorious anti-Semite Linda Sarsour, and Grant Miner, the Columbia University graduate student expelled for storming a campus building.



One of the murals honored Walid Daqqa, a terrorist with the PFLP who was convicted for orchestrating the 1984 abduction, torture, and murder of a 19-year-old Israeli soldier. It included a quote of him saying he saw captivity as "a viewing angle of the overall Arab situation and struggle."



Another mural showed a black-and-white image of Hossam Shabat with "PRESS" emblazoned across his chest. Shabat has been portrayed as a member of the media given his status as an Al Jazeera reporter—but he was also a Hamas sniper. Shabat shared celebratory posts on social media following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack and, before his death in an Israeli strike last month, was known to publish propaganda accusing Israel’s "occupation army" of atrocities.



A third mural highlighted Basel Al-Araj who, according to the Jerusalem Post, led a terrorist cell but was killed in a shootout with Israeli soldiers before he could carry out his planned attacks. A fourth featured Refaat Alareer, a Palestinian poet who said "most Jews" are "evil."



Time to H.E.L.P. the Fight Against Antisemitism
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a markup of the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA) next Wednesday. As the committee convenes, there will likely be several proposed amendments, and senators should keep three key considerations in mind when evaluating the bill.

First, they must understand the why: The AAA is important because while Title VI of the Civil Rights Act requires schools to ensure their programs and activities are free from harassment, intimidation and discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin, because Jewish identity is so multifaceted, without a standard definition for authorities to reference it is easy for antisemites to hide behind this ambiguity, commit heinous acts with impunity, then claim it was not antisemitism because it was not based on this or that characteristic. The bill solves that existing equal protection problem by requiring the relevant authorities to consider, as contextual rebuttable evidence, the gold-standard International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when assessing the motivation behind already unlawful behavior if there is an allegation that the target was chosen because of an aspect of their Jewish identity.

That is why senators must firmly reject any amendments to the definition, and any notion that IHRA is actually 'controversial': IHRA is the clear global consensus, endorsed by more than 1,100 institutions, multiple federal agencies, more than two-thirds of U.S. states, and the vast majority of Jewish people. It is also bipartisan—few things have been agreed upon by the Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations, but this definition is one of them. It is also the only definition that has ever been demonstrably effective at curbing antisemitism: per the European Commission Handbook for the practical use of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, since 2016 the definition has already successfully been used, among other things, "to train police officers, prosecutors, judges, educators, state employees and human rights monitoring bodies" to recognize and deal with antisemitism with measurable success.

Despite misinformation campaigns to the contrary, the definition does not conflate political speech against Israel with antisemitism; there is literally a safe harbor provision in IHRA itself which specifies that "criticism for Israel similar to that leveled against any other country" is not antisemitism, as well as an express caveat that all of the examples given, including the ones about Israel, "could, taking into account the overall context," be antisemitic. The reason those examples are provided is explicitly not because all criticism of Israel is antisemitic—as the definition takes pains to point out twice—but because there are those who use their anti-Zionism as an excuse to target Jewish people and/or institutions.

The AAA does not protect Israel; it protects Jews in America,who are often unlawfully discriminated against because of their real or perceived connection to Israel. Nor, for the record, does it in any way target anyone else's religious beliefs, a ridiculous claim made last year by some who did not understand the bill. For example, as it relates to the claim about deicide, yes, it is abundantly clear that this charge can lead to antisemitic action—see, for example, the Crusades. However, if you just believe it and then don't take unlawful actions against Jews because of that belief, the bill does not affect you.

Second, senators should ignore the outright lie that this bill somehow infringes on free speech. The AAA does not, in any way, restrict or prohibit expression: Every person is free to say whatever they want, however abhorrent, about Jews and/or the Jewish state. What they cannot do is unlawfully act on their hate, and pretend it is not antisemitism. Nor does the bill add any new crimes, classes, punishments, or enhancements, or revise any of the well-established standards and long-standing rules for determining what is or is not considered conduct versus speech. It simply defines a term within the context of Title VI, which regulates behavior (not speech), and ensures that already existing laws will be consistently applied as intended. Nor is this really debatable—the text of the bill is publicly available for anyone to read, and even includes an additional explicit First Amendment savings clause.
Sid Rosenberg’s success is rebuked by his alma mater
Sometimes, antisemitism is so ingrained into the fabric of our society that no one even notices it.

For a decade now, I have been begging, pleading and imploring multiple presidents at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, N.Y., part of the City University of New York system (CUNY), to honor its most accomplished and famous graduate, Sid Rosenberg, with its commencement speech. Rosenberg, of course, hosts the uber-popular “Sid & Friends in the Morning” show on 77 WABC. It is the No. 1-rated morning-drive talk show on the No. 1 talk-radio station in the No. 1 market in America.

In other words, the 57-year-old has risen to the very top of his very competitive and difficult profession.

The shame of his alma mater ignoring it is that I shouldn’t have to approach the college about Rosenberg. He stands out on his own at a college whose “Alumni Success” page hails luminaries such as 1980s’ New York Mets pitcher Pete Falcone. Falcone is a nice story, to be sure, but his is not a name that anyone but a die-hard Mets fan from 40 years ago would ever recognize. The page also lists successful but unknown dentists and medical doctors. Again, very nice, but not very notable.

And yet, Kingsborough’s most well-known commodity is glaringly missing from the page. In fact, Rosenberg is not listed on the page or the website—or in any Kingsborough literature at all.

Conversely, one of Kingsborough’s most infamous students—anti-Israel political activist Linda Sarsour—was honored by CUNY with a commencement address at the Graduate School of Public Health. Apparently, Kingsborough’s two-year college wasn’t good enough for Sarsour. She was elevated to a graduate school that she never even attended, coming from a school she never finished.

Meanwhile, Kingsborough has gone to great lengths to erase Sid, one of its greatest success stories of all. But why?
Ben & Jerry’s founder said looking to buy back company from Unilever amid Israel spat
In the latest bid to cleave Ben & Jerry’s from its parent company, Unilever, co-founder Ben Cohen is attempting to buy it back.

Cohen is making moves to gather investors for a potential buy-back, according to The Wall Street Journal, a step that would sever ties with Unilever 25 years after it bought the Vermont ice cream brand — and following a churning, years-long battle centered on Israel.

“In the year 2000, Unilever loved us for who we were,” Cohen told the Journal. “Now we’ve gone separate ways in our relationship. We just need them to set us free.”

The move is the latest in a saga of icy relations between the Jewish-founded creamery and Unilever. In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s announced that it would stop selling in “Occupied Palestinian Territory” — a boycott of West Bank settlements that prompted an outcry among many Jewish groups and a spate of legal challenges in states with legislation against Israel boycotts.

Cohen and co-founder Jerry Greenfield called the accusation of antisemitism following the announcement “painful” and “absurd.”

About a year after the announcement, Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever reached a deal to continue selling their pints in Israel and the West Bank. But Ben & Jerry’s later came out against the decision, writing in a post on X that selling their products in Israeli settlements was “inconsistent with Ben & Jerry’s values.” Pro-Israel demonstrators protest against Ben & Jerry’s over its boycott of the West Bank, and against antisemitism, in Manhattan, New York City, on August 12, 2021 (Luke Tress/Flash90)

The independent board of Ben & Jerry’s advocates for a range of progressive causes, and the fight with Unilever has periodically resurfaced in recent years. In November, Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever, accusing it of censorship and intimidation over its stances on the war in Gaza.

Last month, Ben & Jerry’s accused Unilever in Manhattan federal court of axing its CEO Dave Stever over the brand’s social activism.
Jewish NYC student bombarded with antisemitic hate after she announces plans to study in Israel
A senior at an elite NYC high school already plagued by antisemitic incidents received so much hate this week over her decision to attend Tel Aviv University that the school’s college-decision Instagram page had to be taken down, the teen and her parents told The Post.

The despicable deluge came immediately after Brooklyn Technical HS’ Class of 2025 student-run account announced on Monday that the student committed to a dual degree program between Tel Aviv and Columbia universities.

One hater replied that she had “nothing to be proud of.” Another said they looked forward to her thesis on “ethnic cleansing.”

Others made outrageous comments about her “cheating her way into genocide university,” and going to a college built “on children corpses,” parroting Hamas talking points.

The girl’s plans for a political science and Middle Eastern studies dual major was also ridiculed: “lol middle eastern studies this has to b a joke,” someone said.

Another student — who is in a class with the girl — even shared the post to his own Instagram “story” but added a massive Palestinian flag to cover her college announcement.

But the senior, whose name is being withheld by The Post, said the worst comment of all was, “Man with mustache was right,” referring to Adolf Hitler.

Hundreds of dark comments continued into Tuesday, turning the celebratory post into a political firestorm so nasty that the entire @bths25decisions account was taken down by the school on Wednesday.

“It’s not only really affecting me, but the whole Jewish community at school,” the 17-year-old told The Post.

But the high-achieving scholar, a Jewish student union leader from Manhattan, said she was not shocked by the vitriol, which she has experienced since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks killed 1,200 innocent Israelis.
New Columbia President Promises To ‘Continue’ Implementing Trump-Imposed Reforms
Columbia University’s new acting president, Claire Shipman, promised Friday to "continue" implementing the Trump-imposed reforms her predecessor agreed to in a bid to recover $430 million in slashed federal funding.

Shipman, a former ABC and CNN journalist, affirmed her dedication to combating campus anti-Semitism in a message to the Columbia community, calling the reforms "the right thing to do."

"[T]he commitments the University made to address antisemitism, harassment, and discrimination, which were outlined on March 21, are now my commitments, and work is underway to continue their implementation," Shipman said.

"We are not changing course. I believe the plans, many of which were already underway, are the right thing to do, and good for our institution. I’ve seen, firsthand, the devastating impact of antisemitism on our community. I also understand the pain of having our institution labeled this way. But that doesn’t mean we should shy away from addressing a very real problem," she continued.

Shipman’s comments come as anti-Semitic protests continue to grip Columbia’s campus—and as the university inconsistently enforces its new policies. While Shipman said Columbia would "continue" implementing the reforms and described them as "already underway," she didn’t address contradictions that arose ahead of Katrina Armstrong’s abrupt departure as interim president last Friday.

In the days after Armstrong announced the policy changes, which include restrictions on masking and consistent discipline, student agitators wearing face coverings protested the reforms unimpeded. Student Workers of Columbia, the university’s graduate student union, organized a rally "to protest Columbia’s newest repressive policies" and handed out masks. Columbia’s Palestine Solidarity Coalition, meanwhile, called on students to wear face coverings "to protest mask bans and the fascist trustees."

And after Armstrong publicly committed to the policy reforms, she privately downplayed or denied those assurances in a private meeting with faculty. She resigned several days later.

Shipman, in her Friday address, signaled that Columbia is "proceeding, with integrity and care" in its negotiations with the federal government to reinstate research funding. She reassured the community that, until the funds are restored, the university will cover the salaries and stipends of those impacted and is actively considering "alternative funding mechanisms" to bridge the gap.


Jews most frequently targeted community for hate crimes in New York City - NYPD
Members of the Jewish community were the most frequent targets of hate crimes in New York over the past three months, according to newly released data from the NYPD on Friday.

Out of 123 reported hate incidents during that period, 74 were directed at Jews. Authorities made 75 arrests connected to these antisemitic incidents. Antisemitism is at a record high. We're keeping our eyes on it >>

Most of the felony arrests—42 in total—were classified under “miscellaneous penal law,” while five were for felony assault.

The areas with the highest number of complaints were in the north of the Queens borough and the south of the Brooklyn borough.

March saw the highest number of reported incidents at 31, followed by 23 in February and 20 in January. Hassidic Jews and NYPD members stand outside the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters, in the Crown Heights section of the Brooklyn borough of New York City, US, January 12, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/SHANNON STAPLETON)


Azerbaijan is sending a Jewish singer to Eurovision with a message of ‘peace and love’
If anyone can bring a bit of peace and harmony to the Eurovision Song Contest this year, Mamagama believes that it is up to the job.

The three-man band from Azerbaijan, made up of a Jewish singer, Lebanese-Russian guitarist and ethnic Azeri drummer, will represent their country this year at the annual competition and hope to also represent a symbol of coexistence, tolerance and love.

“We’re like a big family, really, in our band,” Asaf (Safael) Mishiyev, the lead singer of Mamagama and a proud Mountain Jew (also known as Kavkazi Jews), told The Times of Israel in a recent Zoom interview.

“I think our band can demonstrate this because we’re just like a tolerant Azerbaijani model, because I’m a Jew, Hasan, my friend is a Lebanese Arab and my friend Arif is Azerbaijani,” he added.

The trio got together not too long ago, with Mishiyev — who started Mamagama in 2021 — recruiting Hasan Heydar to join him on guitar and Arif Imanov on drums more recently.

The group will be competing at the Eurovision in Basel next month with their song “Run With U,” a techno-pop tune that somehow blends ’80s vibes with futuristic notes and the appearance of the saz, a traditional Azerbaijani string instrument.
‘That’s Simchas Torah’: Kilmer’s Jewish moment you might have missed
When the world got news of Val Kilmer’s passing on Tuesday, many Jews surely thought of the movie star’s iconic turn providing the voices for God and Moses in the 1998 animated feature “The Prince of Egypt,” a perennial Passover favorite.

But the late actor had a lesser-known Jewish movie moment, centered on another holiday, in his 1984 debut film — a Cold War spy spoof titled “Top Secret!” from ZAZ, the Jewish team behind the classic comedy “Airplane!”

In the movie, Kilmer plays a rockstar who is told the date of a nefarious plot by the movie’s East German antagonists. He replies, “Sunday? But that’s Simchas Torah.”

Though Kilmer was not Jewish himself, his on-point pronunciation of the relatively obscure fall Jewish holiday — which celebrates the end and beginning of the annual cycle of Torah readings — resonated with viewers.

In one comment on a YouTube clip of the dialogue, a user commented, “A punch line designed to entertain .00025% of the audience. Lucky for me, I’m amongst the select few!”

After his entrance into the spotlight in “Top Secret!” Kilmer’s illustrious career included breakout roles as Iceman in “Top Gun,” Jim Morrison in the 1991 biopic “The Doors” and Batman in 1995’s “Batman Forever.”




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