Monday, April 28, 2025

04/28 Links Pt2: Oct. 7 was the Kristallnacht moment of our time; Boycotts, Bus Bombs, and Blind Spots: The Truth About BDS; Canada failed the Jews, election is opportunity for change

From Ian:

The Price
How a Muslim National Guardsman, a pastor’s daughter and a shomer Shabbat Jew joined together in a fantasy of redeeming inner hurts and perceived global wrongs through symbolic violence against Pittsburgh’s Jewish community—and building bombs.

The line between fantasy and self-actualization is inherently thin and is often difficult to spot within this or any other set of facts. For instance, the criminal charges are careful not to make any overt reference to any specific plan on Lubit, Hamad, or Collins’s part to bomb anyone or anything, and prosecutors have not tried to establish any operational link between the defendants and any militant group. Nevertheless, in their search of Hamad’s devices last fall, FBI agents found an image of a man who is very likely Hamad posing in a black sweater and mask and a green Hamas headband, gripping a combination American-Israeli lawn flag while holding up an index finger in likely reference to the Tawhid salute, an assertion of the oneness of God associated with a range of violent Islamist movements.

“Imagine the terror they saw if they had cams,” Hamad told a group text, in reference to the stolen banner. “Hamas operative ripping off their flags in white suburbia.” In another photo, which appeared in the April filing, Hamad’s eyes peer out from between a balaclava and a green Hamas headband—he’s in the passenger seat of a car in broad daylight, his seatbelt dutifully buckled over a fake blue Gucci t-shirt.

Behavior like this quickly reaches a point where the intent of the individual in question, which may be ironic or playacting or dead serious, doesn’t explain very much and may even be unknowable to the person. “Hamas operative” could be Hamad’s aspiration or fantasy or a description of his physical appearance or an expression of guilt at fighting the enemy in Squirrel Hill rather than in Gaza City. It is legal to obtain Indian Black powder and potassium perchlorate, both of which can be bought online for about $20 a pound.

In the courtroom, Lubit and Hamad appeared smaller and more delusional as the sunless afternoon dragged on. They had committed boneheaded errors at every turn while creating a rich archival record of their potential crimes. “How far you from Walmart,” Lubit texted at roughly the moment Hamad purchased what the complaint described as “one can of Rust-Oleum ‘Strawberry Fields’ red, high-gloss spray paint,” an object that investigators were able to identify down to the serial number even before they found it in Hamad’s bedroom at his parents’ house. Lubit reverted her phone to factory settings on July 7, erasing its contents the day the FBI executed its search warrant on Hamad. But her lack of care won out. “Is the resistance chat still around?” Lubit texted activist friends of hers on September 11, the day before a judge authorized a search of her apartment.

In court, the two were in a shock so deep that it often seemed as if they were watching someone else’s criminal hearing and not their own. Hamad often wedged his thumbs together, and he rubbed his eyes when Derbish described the one explosive test-run then known to prosecutors. At one point Lubit seemed in danger of sobbing. She then swallowed any oncoming tears and settled back into sphinxlike impassiveness, while avoiding eye contact with Hamad.

A federal courtroom is an environment of merciless linguistic and emotional economy. It is objectively funny to hear an FBI agent say the words “fuck Zionits,” as Derbish had to in the course of reading other people’s text messages, but in court the humor and sadness is served flavorless and cold. Derbish elucidated Lubit and Hamad’s most private struggles in public, in the robotic legalese of a highly competent law enforcement agent.

In the run-up to the vandalism of the Chabad house on July 29, Lubit was a sympathetic listener to what Hamad said were his deepest hopes and dreams. “My ultimate goal in life is Shaheed,” Hamad texted Lubit, words that Derbish read out in court. A martyr in an Islamic holy war is called a “shaheed.” The agent continued through Hamad’s messages to Lubit: “Everything else doesn’t matter nearly as much … My goal sets are very different from the average person.” Hamad told Lubit, “I don’t see myself living long. … It’s really hard to think long term.”

In a July 4 Instagram story included in the April 8 prosecution filing, Hamad posted an image of a Hamas funeral, with masked fighters crowded around a casket draped in a green flag. “Ya Allah, I can’t take this anymore, I want to fight and die,” Hamad wrote over the image. “I don’t want to live here anymore. I’m jealous of these fighters, they got to fight in the way of Allah and have achieved the highest level of Jannah,” the Islamic concept of paradise. “I want to die fighting,” he’d texted Micaiah Collins on that same Independence Day, according to the April 22 superseding indictment. “I want it now so bad!!”
Israeli antisemitism envoy: Oct. 7 was the Kristallnacht moment of our time
Oct. 7, 2023, was the Kristallnacht moment of our time, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel’s envoy for combating antisemitism, said on Sunday at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem, warning that the world’s failure to respond mirrors the blindness to rising threats in the 1930s.

“Antisemitism is not the problem of the Jews, but of the antisemites and the places that allow them to infect and spread lethal hate,” Cotler-Wunsh said. “It is not a Jewish issue, but an issue for all who cherish our shared life and liberties. The sirens are blaring.”

She expressed deep concern over the normalization of antisemitism, particularly during the current period between Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day and Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel’s Wars and Victims of Terrorism, noting that atrocities, war crimes and genocide are always preceded by a gradual normalization of lethal hate.

Following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre of some 1,200 Israelis and the subsequent war in Gaza, antisemitism has surged across the Western world. The Anti-Defamation League reported a record 9,354 antisemitic incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism in 2024—the fourth consecutive year of increases.

“Antisemitism mutates. New resilient strains, like anti-Zionism, deny Israel’s right to exist, demonize the Jewish people, and have become so mainstream that they have unleashed all forms of antisemitism,” Cotler-Wunsh said.

She warned that antisemitism now festers in international institutions, human rights organizations, universities and online platforms—spaces originally intended to uphold “Never again” values.

“Silence, denial, justification and outright attacks on Jews and Zionists—you need not be Jewish to be targeted, just believe in Israel’s right to exist,” Cotler-Wunsh said. “The tsunami of antisemitism sweeping the world, including the United States, is proof of the normalization of this ever-lethal, ever-mutating hatred.”
Boycotts, Bus Bombs, and Blind Spots: The Truth About BDS
The Real Victims: Students and Academic Integrity
The most immediate harm from BDS campaigns isn't felt thousands of miles away in Tel Aviv or Ramallah, but locally, by Jewish students forced into defensive postures, made to feel alienated, isolated, and targeted on their own campuses. Universities, once bastions of free thought and academic rigor, now find themselves reduced to ideological battlegrounds, where nuance is discarded in favor of dogmatic zeal.

Moreover, these resolutions do nothing tangible to improve Palestinian lives. Not one Palestinian has benefited economically, politically, or socially from BDS campaigns on American campuses. Instead, Palestinian aspirations are cynically weaponized for ideological ends, ignoring the complexities of the conflict and damaging opportunities for genuine dialogue, coexistence, and peace.

Confronting Reality: Challenging BDS Honestly
We may disagree profoundly on the plight and the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians, but this strategy does their cause no good. Holding Israel accountable through discriminatory campaigns that ignore broader global injustices and realities is neither ethical nor effective. BDS thrives not on truth or justice, but on simplistic narratives, selective outrage, and emotional manipulation.

Jewish communities, university administrators, and ethical observers must recognize BDS campaigns for what they are: attacks not just on Israeli policies, but fundamentally on the legitimacy of Jewish identity and Jewish presence in academia.

In standing against BDS and its manifestations, we affirm not only Jewish dignity but the universal values of fairness, honesty, and genuine dialogue—values truly deserving of our commitment and defense. BDS must be stopped at its roots before it becomes the disease it truly is, undermining the integrity and values of academic institutions and the broader society. So, what do we do next?

We must actively educate and engage campus administrators, student leaders, faculty, and the broader community about the true nature and harmful impacts of BDS. Vigilance, thoughtful dialogue, and clear policy enforcement are essential. By promoting transparency and informed discussions, we can prevent misinformation and extremism from taking root. Above all, we must continue to build strong, principled coalitions across diverse communities, reaffirming our collective commitment to coexistence, academic freedom, and genuine human rights advocacy.


US Universities Don't Like Unmasking Their Foreign Donors. A New Trump Order Aims To Make Them.
For decades, federal law has required U.S. universities to disclose the sources of large foreign donations to the federal government. But the Biden administration sparsely enforced the law, allowing foreign nationals from adversarial countries to funnel cash to top American schools and stay anonymous.

In some cases, it's unclear whether the schools themselves are keeping close track of the foreign money they accept. In early February, the Washington Free Beacon filed state records requests with 11 public universities for the identities of foreign donors that gave the schools more than $20,000 in the past two years. Some, like the University of California, Los Angeles and University of Michigan, said it would take months of searching or more than $1,500 in fees to provide an answer.

That won't fly with President Donald Trump, who last week signed an executive order outlining more robust enforcement of the Higher Education Act of 1965's foreign donor disclosure requirements. In some cases, it already appears to be spurring action. Another recipient of the Free Beacon's records requests, the University of California, Berkeley, for weeks did not respond. On Friday, shortly after Trump signed the order and launched a foreign funding investigation into the school, it sent a list of major foreign donors from 2023 and 2024.

Trump's order calls on Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to "take appropriate steps to reverse or rescind any actions by the prior administration that permit higher education institutions to maintain improper secrecy regarding their foreign funding," a reference to the Biden administration's unusual policies that shielded foreign donors. Historically, the Department of Education disclosed foreign donor names in a public database. During the Biden administration, it stopped publishing names, instead only releasing the countries where each donation came from.

Such a policy is easy for foreign donors to exploit. From 2021 to 2025, U.S. universities raked in nearly a billion dollars from mystery donors in offshore tax havens like Bermuda, Guernsey, and the Cayman Islands, the Free Beacon reported. In some cases, the money actually came from China, as shown through state-level disclosures that include donors' names. At the University of Pennsylvania, for example, a $3 million gift from a donor in the Cayman Islands actually came from E-House Enterprise Holdings, a Chinese real estate company with a listed address in Hong Kong.

The Trump administration's foreign funding enforcement fight, then, could bring startling revelations regarding the size and scope of U.S. higher education funding that has come from China, Qatar, Russia, and other adversarial nations. It comes as lawmakers and watchdog groups raise concerns about the influence of foreign money and its link to rising extremism, terrorism support, and anti-Semitism on college campuses—as well as the potential for intellectual property theft and espionage activities by countries like China.
Qatar and China Are Pouring Billions Into Elite American Universities
Foreign donors have given as much to U.S. universities in the last four years as they did in the previous 40, according to a new report by the Network Contagion Research Institute shared exclusively with The Free Press. The study shows an explosion in overseas funding for American schools between 2021 and 2024, with nearly $29 billion in foreign money donated during that period.

Qatar and China are among the largest sources of funding.

That $29 billion figure is more than double the total for the preceding four years, and accounts for half of the estimated $57.97 billion in foreign funding since 1986, when the federal government began tracking the data.

“The floodgates opened during the Biden era,” said NCRI’s co-founder Joel Finkelstein. “This isn’t just a financial issue—it’s a national security crisis. Hostile powers are buying influence on American campuses at an industrial scale.”

Here’s what the NCRI study found:
Qatar is the largest source of foreign donations to U.S. universities since reporting began in 1986, with $6.3 billion coming from the gas-rich Gulf state.
Germany ($3.3 billion) was the largest source of foreign funding over the last four years, followed by China ($2.3 billion), Qatar ($2 billion), and Saudi Arabia ($1.9 billion). Almost two-thirds of the money from Germany ($1.9 billion) went to the University of Pennsylvania, including $467 million in a settlement last fall after the university accused a German pharmaceutical firm of improperly licensing their vaccine technology.
Qatari donations have ramped up significantly over the last four years. Nearly a third of donations from Qatar—over $2 billion—were given between 2021 and 2024.
The second-largest source of foreign funding is China. Chinese funding accounts for $5.6 billion and, as with Qatar, Chinese donations have increased sharply in the past four years, with $2.3 billion in donations from 2021 to 2024. China is the single largest source of overseas donations to some of America’s most prestigious universities, including Harvard, Columbia, and Stanford.
Harvard has historically received the most funding from foreign donors ($3.2 billion), followed by Cornell and Carnegie Mellon (which have each received $2.8 billion).

The findings come amid increased political scrutiny of foreign donations to American universities. Just last week, Donald Trump signed an executive order cracking down on universities who don’t properly disclose how much money they’re receiving from foreign sources. Trump’s order threatened to scrap federal grants to universities if schools failed to accurately disclose overseas sources of funding. A 2024 study published by the National Association of Scholars found that universities failed to disclose at least $1 billion in foreign funding since Biden took office, the majority of which came from authoritarian countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

This latest move is not Trump’s first attempt to scrutinize foreign funding in higher education. In 2019, during his first term, the Department of Education investigated a dozen elite universities and uncovered $6.5 billion in previously unreported foreign funds to U.S. colleges and universities from authoritarian countries such as China and Saudi Arabia.

While Qatar holds the designation of a major non-NATO ally of the United States, the country is also known for harboring the leaders of Hamas and exporting political Islamism, including by supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, across the Middle East.
‘Nathan for You’ creator blasts Paramount+ for removing episode over antisemitism ‘sensitivities’
Nathan Fielder is not happy with Paramount+.

The comedian, 41, blasted the streamer for removing a 2015 episode of his Comedy Central series “Nathan For You” over fears of antisemitism.

During the second episode of the show’s third season, Fielder launched his winter apparel brand called Summit Ice, which was designed by a rabbi to promote Holocaust awareness. The idea for the brand came in response to Canadian label Taiga praising Holocaust denier Doug Collins.

Now 10 years later, Fielder said on Sunday night’s episode of his HBO docu-comedy “The Rehearsal” that Summit Ice is his “proudest achievement.” He then explained that in 2023, he discovered that “Nathan for You” was gone from Paramount+.

Fielder, who is Jewish, re-created the moment he learned about the episode’s removal by having Alexander Leiss, who played “Fake Nathan” in “The Rehearsal” Season 1, retype his email to Paramount.

“I remember wanting to convey how urgent this was for me, and yet my email was extremely cordial, using phrases like ‘forever grateful’ and ‘happy holidays,'” Fielder said in a voiceover.

“The network confirmed in their response that it was taken down intentionally and gave me a one-word explanation as to why: ‘sensitivities,'” he revealed.

Fielder elaborated that the streamer told him, “A decision was made by Paramount+ Germany to remove the episode in their region after they became uncomfortable with what they called anything that touches on antisemitism in the aftermath of the Israel/Hamas attacks.”

The Canadian actor claimed that Paramount+ Germany’s decision caused other countries to remove the episode. He accused the streamer of “erasing” Jewish people and used a graphic to compare Paramount to the Nazis taking over Europe during World War II.

Later in the episode, Fielder hired an actor to play the head of Paramount+ Germany, dressed like a Nazi, for a meeting in a war room.
Louis Theroux: The Settlers, review: Theroux’s approach is mismatched with the political reality of Israel
Oh, BBC. Why do you do this to yourself? If you’ve been brought low by accusations of bias in a documentary about Israel and Gaza – and an investigation into Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone is ongoing – it’s not the best idea to broadcast another one so soon.

True, this is not a BBC News programme but Louis Theroux: The Settlers (BBC Two). It is mostly concerned with the West Bank, rather than Hamas-controlled Gaza. Theroux is under no obligation to hide where his sympathies lie, and he doesn’t, closing the film by telling a leading settler that she’s a sociopath because she doesn’t care about the suffering of Palestinians.

The Settlers is a follow-up to The Ultra Zionists, a film he made in 2011. That one was very much in the classic Theroux tradition: spend time with religious fanatics who need only the politest prodding to make inflammatory statements. It is a much better documentary than this, which covers the same ground and feels surplus to requirements.

The Jewish settlers believe they have a God-given right to live in “the heart of Judea”, refusing to recognise Palestinian claims on the territories. They consider the Bible to be “a land deed to the West Bank”, Theroux explains, and have built settlements that are illegal under international law. Palestinians are subject to aggression and intimidation in a bid to drive them from the land, their attackers able to act with impunity under the protection of the IDF. Most moderate Israelis regard the settlers as a national embarrassment, while the country’s security chief, Ronen Bar, has described escalating acts of violence by the “hilltop youth” as terrorism.
JPost Editorial: Canada failed the Jews, election is opportunity for change
Meanwhile, there has been a notable contrast in the approach taken by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. In recent months, Poilievre has spoken out forcefully against antisemitism, both within Canada and abroad.

He has not hesitated to call out Hamas terrorism by name, nor to denounce the thinly veiled antisemitism present in many “anti-Zionist” demonstrations. As the Post’s Michael Starr reported, Poilievre even visited the NOVA Exhibition to demonstrate solidarity with Israeli victims and their families.

Is this the kind of leadership that Canadian Jews would prefer? In a climate where so many political figures shrink from confronting antisemitism out of fear of alienating activist constituencies, Poilievre’s clarity may matter. It signals to Canadian Jews that their government will not equivocate when their safety is at stake. And their physical safety is at stake.

It is important to acknowledge that antisemitism is not a partisan issue and hate exists across the entire political spectrum. But what Canadian Jews have experienced in the last year and a half is not an abstract threat. It is immediate, palpable, and often deadly serious.

It demands more than generic statements about “combating all forms of hate.” It demands a government willing to prioritize Jewish safety and identity as a non-negotiable principle of national life.

Canada’s once-proud reputation as a refuge for minorities has been tarnished by its hesitations and half-measures. A change in leadership could signal that Canada is ready to reclaim its moral clarity.

Jewish Canadians are not looking for special treatment. They are asking for what every citizen deserves: security in their schools and synagogues, safety on their streets, and equal protection under the law. They are asking that when hatred flares against them, their leaders respond not with muted regret but with decisive action.

For Canadian Jews, this election is not just another political contest. It is a referendum on whether their country still takes their rights and their security seriously.

For too long, the Liberal government failed to rise to that challenge. Canadian Jews now have a chance to vote for a different future, one where antisemitism is confronted, not tiptoed around. It is an opportunity they can ill afford to miss.
Brian Cox: Singh, Carney help perpetuate lie that Israel's committing 'genocide'
Israel’s political leaders have repeatedly affirmed that the strategic objectives of the campaign in Gaza are to destroy Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, thereby ending the enduring security threat posed by the terrorist group, and the return of all the hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated this message earlier this month, and these remain consistent with the goals announced in October 2023, during the early stages of the ground offensive in Gaza.

Seeking to destroy a transnational terrorist group that promises a repeat of the October 7 massacre is not genocide — it’s war.

A significant number of civilian casualties are, unfortunately, predictable given that Hamas deliberately hides and fights among the civilian population. But harm to civilians that is incidental to attacks in pursuit of the destruction of a terrorist group during armed conflict does not constitute genocide.

To date, Turkey is the only NATO member that has officially concluded that Israel is committing genocide. Some activist groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have also characterized Israel’s conduct as genocide.

However, these assertions are based almost entirely on comments from various Israeli political leaders that were taken out of context, coupled with observed effects of the conflict that can be consistent with the intent to destroy Hamas rather than the population of Gaza.

When it comes to the genocide case initiated by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), it is commonly suggested that the court’s provisional measures concluded that Israel’s conduct in Gaza amounts to a “plausible genocide.” However, this is an incorrect interpretation of the purpose of ICJ provisional measures.

Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza. When Canadians head to the polls, they should consider each party’s record on countering this pernicious disinformation directed against Canada’s closest ally in the Middle East.
Local Jewish Leader Grilled on Norwegian TV
A few weeks ago, on the 9th of April, Ervin appeared on a national TV interview with journalist Yama Wolasmal. Yama is a prize-winning, well-respected journalist and Middle East correspondent who has been noticed by some internationally for his tough interviews with Israeli spokesperson David Mencer and more recently UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine Francesca Albanese, clips of both of which reached a more global audience through social media. The interview of Ervin was done under the program title “Yama Utfordrer,” Yama Challenges… in English.

The description on the program page is “Yama Wolasmal meets powerful individuals face to face. He confronts them with decisions that have had a significant impact on millions of people.”

If you are Jewish, you have likely already spotted problem number one. Think of an antisemitic stereotype; Jews and power will come near the top of the list. Ervin has no position of power apart from Facebook and Twitter accounts with a, not particularly impressive, combined total of 8,000 followers, split about 50/50 between the platforms. The “Yama Utfordrer” interview series started with NATO Head Jens Stoltenberg, moved over to controversial UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, next Hamas leader Basem Naim, and then Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (the last interview with a focus on Trump). It doesn’t take a forensic detective to spot the odd one out. The only special “power” Ervin has is that he is probably the only mainstream Norwegian Jew who continues to put themselves out there publicly; everyone else is either worn out, has given up, or doesn’t feel safe to share their opinions in public and have to deal with the hate that flows back in return.

Let’s look a bit deeper into the program. The description of the episode was “Yama Challenges Ervin on Jew Hatred.” When the program was announced, there was a little excitement amongst Norwegian Jews that Norwegian state broadcaster NRK was going to have a conversation about antisemitism with someone who knew about it. There was also some skepticism on why Ervin needed challenging on it rather than NRK or Norwegian society and general skepticism on what NRK would present. The broadcaster is generally not trusted by Norwegian Jews and has made very little effort to present or represent our opinions and issues over the last couple of years.

What we ended up with was more a modern-day version of a historical Disputation (where Jewish scholars in the Middle Ages had to defend their religion against heresy against the church) or, closer to the modern day, a Soviet Show trial. In a 29-minute interview, cut from a 90-minute conversation, there were 4 or 5 minutes on antisemitism in Norway with no emotion or delving into the issues. The rest covered Ervin’s views on Israel, including 4 to 5 minutes on what the interview called “The heated antisemitism debate,” mostly on whether Israel was behaving like Nazis, if genocide was a valid term to use, and if Amnesty International was antisemitic. Questions were heated, tough, and sometimes personal, of the type that you would expect to be handed to a prime minister rather than an ex-layman of a religious community.

From the perspective of mainstream Norwegian Jews, Ervin did a great job. He stayed calm and answered the questions he was given as best he could. As a representative Jew, despite Ervin and the interviewer saying clearly at the start that he was only representing himself, he had to be careful of what he said, and there was much he could not say because, like in the disputations and show trials, it’s not always safe to say what you mean. Ervin agreed to be interviewed because if he hadn’t, they may have asked someone else. Unlike in previous history, Ervin and Norway’s Jews did not have to worry about physical retribution on the Jewish community; police with machine guns protect our buildings and gatherings 24/7, but a wrong word or sentence could have had serious repercussions in the media. That is something we all fear even if it only affects our psychological well-being.
What Britain’s Corbyn era can teach American Jews
American liberals, American Jews, and especially liberal American Jews would be well advised to be extra vigilant about this British import, which no tariff will protect them from. The British experience of the 2010s has a few useful lessons and warnings for what awaits the Americans in the 2020s.

There are two groups that demand extra attention. The first are the liberal anti-antisemites. These are the people from within the left-liberal camps who were willing to stand up to antisemitism as it is – a conspiracy theory about powerful people at home supposedly using money and influence to further their bloodlust abroad. They reject the idea of making it qualify as a protected pathology under the terms of woke progressivism.

In Britain, this voice, an authentic liberal voice opposed to actual antisemitism including in its own camp, was remarkably silent from 2000 until well into the Corbyn era. In those years, the only people fighting back against antisemitism from academia, NGOs, or other minorities more in the favour of the progressive left were largely either from the right or Jewish themselves.

And then somewhere around 2017 or 2018, that silence was broken, and voices from within the mainstream of the political left in Britain started criticising antisemitism in Corbyn’s Labour Party and in the left in general. Once the taboo was broken, it suddenly emerged that there were many who felt the same way. It was a crucial turning point in the defeat of Corbyn and the recovery of the Labour Party.

The second group that merits close attention are the proud-to-be-ashamed Jews, the micro-minority “anti-Zionist” Jews who leverage their status, however tenuous, in the community to “expose” both Israeli crimes and, what the antisemites themselves crave to hear, the “complicity” of powerful Jews at home. The mainstream community wastes a great deal of time fretting over what motivates this crowd when it needs to understand that it is a demand-based problem, not a supply-based one.

Rather than treating low-information Oedipal ravings from tortured dissidents as a serious challenge and thus granting the lied-to-at-summer-camp a form of legitimacy their counterparts from any other minority group never get, the Jewish community should be focusing its efforts on the institutions that promote these tokens. Just as it needs to begin seriously focusing on the institutions of higher learning and non-governmental work that have been given a free pass to mobilise against the Jewish people both in Israel and the diaspora.
Daughter of murdered MP Sir David Amess urges Irish rap group Kneecap to apologise over 'kill your MP' call
The daughter of Sir David Amess says she is 'absolutely gobsmacked' after Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap allegedly called for the death of British MPs.

Video has emerged of the band at a gig in November 2023 appearing to show one person from Kneecap saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.'

Katie Amess, whose Conservative MP father was fatally stabbed at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in 2021, said the comments had upset her family.

She told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme that she was 'absolutely gobsmacked at the stupidity of somebody or a group of people being in the public eye and saying such dangerous, violent rhetoric'.

Ms Amess added: 'It is just beyond belief that human beings would speak like that in this day and age and it is extremely dangerous. To say to kill anybody, what on earth are they thinking?'

She also warned there were 'absolute nutters' who could try to act upon the comments after her father was murdered by ISIS fanatic Ali Harbi Ali.

Today, the Prime Minister's official spokesman called the group's lyrics 'completely unacceptable'.

Asked about Kneecap’s remarks, he said: ‘It is obviously completely unacceptable and he completely rejects those views and condemns them in the strongest possible terms.’


Labour MP calls on Glastonbury to drop anti-Israel band Kneecap
A Labour MP is calling on Glastonbury to drop controversial Northern Irish band Kneecap after it was referred to counter-terrorism police over one of its member’s alleged voicing of support for Hamas and Hezbollah.

In a letter to the festival’s organisers, Hemel Hempstead MP David Taylor said he had “serious concern regarding the inclusion of the group” alongside mainstream headliners like Neil Young and Charlie XCX.

Last week, the JC reported that the Metropolitan Police had referred the trio to its counter-terrorism unit after a video apparently showing one band member shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” during a London gig last November recently surfaced on social media.

And, on Friday, the Daily Mail reported on a clip of one member of the group saying: “kill your local MP” at a concert the year before, adding: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory.”

“If these reports are accurate, the group's actions and statements go beyond the realm of legitimate political expression and into the dangerous territory of inciting violence and promoting extremism, as well as severe antisemitism,” said Taylor.

“By hosting such a group, Glastonbury Festival risks undermining its proud tradition of promoting peace, unity, and social responsibility. It would be deeply troubling to see the festival provide a platform to individuals who advocate hatred and violence especially at a time when political and social tensions are already high,” he added.

The group’s comments were also condemned by the daughter of Sir David Amess, who was murdered during a constituency surgery by an Islamist terrorist in 2021.

It is just beyond belief that human beings would speak like that in this day and age and it is extremely dangerous," Katie Amess told the BBC.

"To say to kill anybody, what on earth are they thinking?” she said, adding that there were "absolute nutters" who would try on act on the alleged comments.


Cruz urges Princeton to take action over professor accused of pro-Iran allegiances, citing risk to students
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz called on his alma mater, Princeton University, to dismiss a former high-level Iranian regime official because he is allegedly making students feel unsafe amid recent outbreaks of antisemitism at the New Jersey university.

The ex-official for the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who is a Middle East security and nuclear policy specialist at the university, is under pressure on many fronts from congressional representatives, Princeton students and experts on antisemitism.

"Mousavian is closely linked to the Iranian regime and to the regime’s campaigns of terrorism and murder. His presence at Princeton makes students feel justifiably afraid for their safety. Princeton’s decision to keep employing him shows they care less about their students, and more about providing a platform for pro-regime and anti-American propaganda. That kind of reckless institutional ideological bias is exactly why the Trump administration is reassessing federal funding for Princeton," Cruz told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.

Students, some faculty and outsiders gathered on the lawns outside the Princeton chapel to protest Israel's military campaign in Gaza, April 25, 2024. (Mary Ann Koruth / Imagn)

Fox News Digital previously reported that Mousavian expressed support for the U.S.-designated terrorist movements, Hamas and Hezbollah, and appeared to pay tribute to the global Iranian terrorist Qassem Soleimani in 2020 when he attended his funeral.

President Donald Trump ordered a drone strike to eliminate Soleimani in January 2020 for his role in the murders of over 600 American military personnel in the Middle East and his planning of new terrorist attacks.

Mousavian has declined to renounce his support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran's fatwa (religious decree) to assassinate the British-American writer Salman Rushdie.

A Hezbollah flag was on display during a Princeton student protest encampment against Israel last year. The Iran-backed Hezbollah was responsible for a 1983 bombing that murdered 241 U.S. military members in Beirut.
NJ lawmaker wants to stop state aid for Princeton over failure to address Jew-hatred
A member of the New Jersey legislature wants to hold up state aid to Princeton University until he gets a detailed explanation of what the private, Ivy League institution is doing to combat antisemitism.

Bob Singer, a Jewish Republican state senator whose district includes Lakewood and its large population of Orthodox Jews, told JNS that he wants university officials to show him that they are adequately addressing Jew-hatred on campus.

“I have a responsibility to make sure Jewish students not only get a quality education but are protected,” he said. “Let them prove those accusations are wrong. If they can show that, we can continue the aid.”

Princeton officials declined to comment on Singer’s comments when asked by JNS.

Singer is also the lead state Senate Republican sponsor of bipartisan legislation requiring New Jersey to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) ’s widely adopted working definition of antisemitism.

That legislation has yet to reach the floor in either house.

The Anti-Defamation League gave Princeton a “D” grade this year in its assessment of how well institutions of higher education are dealing with antisemitism, which exploded on college campuses as students and others sided with the Palestinians after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The ADL report found that the university has hosted antisemitic speakers and that campus protests have included calls for the destruction of Israel while embracing Hamas.

Fliers posted on campus in September 2024 read “Death to ‘Israel,’” “Tel Aviv will burn” and “We support Hamas,” the ADL said.

“This is beyond disgrace,” Singer told JNS. “Students should have the right to learn in safety and security. That is the responsibility of any institution. If they don’t feel that way about it, don’t take state money. Don’t take federal money.”
Anti-Israel e-mail blast sent to NYC Jewish teachers, provoking outrage
An anti-Israel group sent an email blast to city teachers pushing for a May Day strike and other “civil disobedience” to protest the Gaza war, riling Jewish educators and sparking an investigation.

The Labor for Palestine Network called for union members to rise up against “the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza” and even coordinate their efforts with student groups in the alarming screed, which teachers were told to ignore by city school officials.

“I’m not feeling safe when I get an email like that,” said one Jewish teacher at PS 75 on the Upper West Side, who received the email on Friday. “When I woke up [and got this email], I was absolutely shocked.”

The Labor for Palestine Network sent an email blast to city teachers pushing for a May Day strike and other “civil disobedience” to protest the Gaza war, riling Jewish educators and sparking an investigation.

The city Department of Education is now probing the email blast and investigating how many school employees received the message, which blasted the US government’s “bipartisan support for Israeli violence contributing to the devastation.”

“Our struggles for workers’ rights and the fight against occupation and colonialism are inseparable,” said the e-letter, signed “In Solidarity” by “Margaret” from the group.

“The call to action is clear: it is time to move beyond speeches and statements,” the letter went on. “We must take concrete steps to create real pressure, including organizing general strikes, participating in widespread civil disobedience, and coordinating efforts with the student movement.”

Workers at at least two schools, PS 75 and the High School for Environmental Studies in Hell’s Kitchen, received the email from the group.

The network supports the controversial boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, or BDS, against Israel. Jewish civil rights activists such as the Anti-Defamation League consider BDS a campaign rooted in antisemitism.
This California school slammed for hosting Palestinian terrorists, named ‘most antisemitic’ university: report
San Francisco State University sponsors a program that has included Palestinian terrorists as guest speakers, The Post has learned.

The university’s Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies (AMED) course also organized a student trip to Jordan to meet with a convicted Hamas financier and the first woman to hijack an airplane – in the name of Palestinian liberation – according to sources.

The controversial guests and other incidents have led to lawsuits being filed by Jewish students and the university being dubbed “the most antisemitic college campus in the country” in 2018 according to a study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI).

The study comes amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on universities, threatening to cease billions federal funding from schools that do not comply with efforts to protect Jewish students.

Rabab Abdulhadi, a professor and the director of the AMED program, has close ties to pro-Hamas groups such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the People’s Forum, the report obtained by The Post says.

People’s Forum, which is financed partly by the Chinese Communist Party, organized many of the New York demonstrations in support of Hamas immediately following the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel that left 1,200 Israelis dead.

Three days after the Hamas terror attacks, AMED posted on its official Facebook page honoring “all resistance fighters from Geronimo to #Gaza, Huwarra and Al Aqsa.” Geronimo refers to a 19th century Native American resistance fighter; Huwarra is the name of a Palestinian town located in the West Bank and Al Aqsa is a network of Palestinian militias, named for the holiest site in Jerusalem.
Berklee College of Music Fires Professor Who Called Jews 'Vile Predators'
Berklee College of Music has fired a top professor following a Washington Free Beacon probe into his anti-Semitic comments.

Nicholas Payton, who has called Jews "vile predators" and falsely blamed them for slavery, revealed in an Instagram post Saturday that he was out as chair of the school's brass department.

"[O]n a zoom meeting this wednesday at 1:00pm CST, i was told by two berklee officials that i had 24 hours to resign or be terminated," Payton wrote in the post. "[I] think the real issue is people miscategorizing me as an 'antisemite.'"

"[L]et me remind those who find me problematic: I AM THE VICTIM. [I] was dismissed without due process, without a warning, or a chance to make it right," the aggrieved musician continued. "[I] loved that job and was finally getting the hang of it, even though i’ve never had a 'regular' job in my life."

The musician additionally claimed that Berklee had hired him in full knowledge of his past remarks about Jews—and had indicated their personal agreement with him.

"[I] was promoted to chair of the department in the fall of 2024. [W]as handpicked by a dean who knew full well about these so-called antisemitic statements and told me that not only he agreed, but so did the provost, the vice president and HR also agree."

Payton specifically called out the Free Beacon for precipitating his exit, writing that his statements "regarding the actions of some in the jewish community" were "completely miscontextualize[d]." He added in a now-deleted post that "calling black people 'antisemite' is the new 'N****r.'" As of Monday, his name is no longer listed on the school's brass department faculty page.


Labour MP warned about conduct after sharing post claiming Starmer paid by Israel
Labour MP Clive Lewis has been issued with a formal reminder of conduct after sharing a social media post containing ‘incorrect and unacceptable’ tropes about the Prime Minister and Israel.

The Norwich South MP had shared a post on X written by the notorious anti-Zionist activist Dr Louise Raw which wrongly used a photograph of a Turkish boy suffering from a severe genetic disorder, and accused the PM of being under the control of Israel’s “money and orders.”

Both Lewis and Raw appeared to believe the photo was one of an injured Palestinian child, but a community note on the platform later stated:”The post in the screenshot is unrelated to Israel’s war on Hamas.”

After Jewish News highlighted Lewis’s decision to share the post a Labour spokesperson:”This social media post expresses incorrect and unaccepatable tropes.

“Clive Lewis has deleted the repost and rightly apologised for the offence caused.

“Mr Lewis has been reminded about the high standards of conduct expected by representatives of the Labour Party.”

Jewish News understands he has now been issued with a formal reminder of conduct by the party.

Lewis, a former shadow frontbencher under Jeremy Corbyn, has previously faced complaints about alleged antisemitism, last year sharing a post that claimed there was a link between far-right violence in the UK with Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

His decision to share claims that the Prime Minister is influenced by money and power from the state of Israel once again raised concerns about the MP in relation to antisemitism claims.


Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinian Leaders Play Musical Chairs To Dupe Western Donors
The appointment of al-Sheikh needs to be seen in the context of Abbas's effort to dupe the international community into believing that he is serious about reforming the PA and sharing power. Abbas's main goal is to rid himself of the image of an autocrat and present himself as a reformist and democrat, so that Western donors will continue to pour money on him – foolishly with no conditions.

[T]hose who think that al-Sheikh would be different from Abbas are clueless. Al-Sheikh, a veteran member of Abbas's ruling Fatah faction, is an exact replica of his boss. Abbas and he share the same positions on almost every issue related to Israel. Both have always used harsh rhetoric to condemn and vilify Israel, especially in the international arena.

Al-Sheikh may not represent the old guard in the Palestinian leadership, but his statements and positions reflect those of Abbas and the old guard. The Palestinians need real reforms that will end the corruption in PA institutions and remove corrupt and incompetent officials. The last thing they need is a new game of musical chairs designed to deceive both the Palestinians and the international community.
MEMRI: Harsh Criticism In Qatar Of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas After He Cursed Hamas And Called On It To Release The Israeli Hostages: He Is A 'Dog' And A 'Traitor' Who Will Be 'Cast Into The Dustbin Like A Carcass'
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas' remarks at the April 23, 2025 session of the Palestinian Central Council, in which he called Hamas "sons of bitches" and demanded that they release the Israeli hostages they are holding in Gaza, sparked virulent criticism in Qatar, which is Hamas' patron and provided unreserved support for its October 7, 2023 attack.[1] Writing in his column in the Qatari government daily Al-Watan, Palestinian journalist Samir Al-Barghouti wondered how Abbas, who has been part of the Palestinians' national struggle, including their armed struggle, since its inception, dares to curse the resistance fighters, who are "the most honorable people on the face of the earth," and justified Hamas' decision to hold on to its weapons and the Israeli hostages.

Qataris on social media likewise condemned Abbas and his remarks. Retired Qatari general Mubarak Al-Khayareen called him a traitor who has lost his physical, mental and cognitive fitness and quoted a poem conveying that Abbas will hopefully be cast into the trash like a carcass. Jaber Al-Harmi, editor of the Qatari daily Al-Sharq, said that Abbas' statements "are the worst immorality," do not befit a president and are "a disgraceful descent to the lowest of the low."

These statements are not an unusual phenomenon in Qatar. The Qatari press periodically publishes articles attacking Abbas, calling for his resignation and condemning the PA's security coordination with Israel and its position towards Hamas.[2] In February this year, Qatar initiated and hosted a National Conference for Palestine which challenged the PA and called to integrate Hamas in the PLO without requiring it to relinquish the armed struggle against Israel. This was part of Qatar's efforts to ensure Hamas' survival amid the attempts to end its rule in Gaza and prepare for the day after the war there.[3]

This report presents some of the criticism voiced in Qatar following Abbas' recent statements against Hamas.

Article In Qatari Daily: The Resistance Fighters Are Honorable And Must Not Be Cursed
As stated, Palestinian journalist Samir Al-Barghouti slammed Abbas' remarks against Hamas in his column in the Qatari daily Al-Sharq, without quoting them. He wrote: “I wish I weren't alive to hear what was said by a man who purports to represent an entire people, a man who took part in preparing for the opening shot [of the Palestinian struggle] and served as secretary-general of the PLO… a man who charted the map of the struggle during the [initial] spread of the revolution, who defended the idea, and who believed that the Palestinian revolution was not just an armed [struggle] but an ongoing plan of national liberation that evolved over time from a popular uprising into armed resistance and then into a political struggle and combined resistance.

"The members [of the resistance] are the most honorable people on earth, and it is not right to curse them just in order to please a criminal whose hands are stained with the blood of Palestinian children [i.e., Israel]… [Abbas is] a man who knows what happened to the rebels after they gave up their rifles in 1948 [just] to exchange them for new rifles, and knows what massacres were perpetrated in Sabra and Shatila after the [PLO's] withdrawal from Beirut in 1982. If, God forbid, the resistance [fighters] who are fiercely fighting with their weapons in Gaza and the West Bank had surrendered their weapons and returned the prisoners [i.e., the Israeli hostages], Israel would have invaded the entire West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

"Oh Mr. President, the strength of the resistance and its victory depend on the unity of the people and its ability to acquire weapons. If you want to be the leader of Palestine, you and whoever is being groomed to be your successor must comply with what is required of those who are loyal to the plan – namely unity of the Palestinian ranks – and work around the clock to preserve the progress [achieved] in the Arab region and the achievements of the revolution on the international level. Those who have right on their side [i.e., the Palestinian people] must not [remain] without tools to develop themselves, because, from the Balfor Declaration of 1917 until the Al-Aqsa Flood [in 2023], the map of our people's struggle has been clear and the goal has been one: expulsion of the occupation and the establishment of an Arab-Islamic Palestine.”[4]
Report: Hamas Loots U.N. Cash Assistance Programs for Gaza Civilians
Hamas terrorists are allegedly looting cash assistance programs administered by the United Nations for Gaza civilians, abusing their control of Gaza markets to skim up to 30 percent off every donor-financed transaction.

Eyal Ofer, an expert on Hamas’ economic operations, told Fox News Digital on Sunday that the “de facto rulers” of Gaza grab the money after civilians obtain it from U.N. support programs using smartphone apps.

“The aid system is being manipulated by Hamas and affiliated traders. Hamas does this largely behind the scenes, leveraging their control over large merchants, crime families, and using cash to establish a shadow banking system within Gaza,” Ofer said.

“People who receive money via mobile apps must convert it into cash to use in local markets, but this involves hefty fees, with many money changers tied to Hamas or its allies,” he explained.

U.N. agencies like the World Food Program (WFP), the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), and children’s charity UNICEF are pumping tens of millions of dollars into Gaza each month. Some of the aid is managed digitally, but for small everyday purchases from local markets, Gazans need cash — and that is where Hamas steps in to take its “cut.”

Gaza residents told reporters from Israel’s TPS-IL news agency that Hamas has taken over distributing this money to civilians — and officials from the terror gang claim 20 to 30 percent of each transaction as a “fee” for their “services.”

“These people are charging 30 percent just to give you cash. I just want to take care of my family, but everything costs me more because of this. Prices are insane,” said Gaza resident Nidal Qawasmeh.

“In videos from Gaza, you can see traders refusing to accept app funds and forcing customers to convert them into cash, knowing they will lose at least 20% in the process,” Ofer noted.


Netanyahu: Israel stopped Iranian planes from reaching Syria ahead of Assad’s ouster
Israeli warplanes last year intercepted Iranian aircraft headed toward Syria, preventing them from delivering troops meant to assist the country’s embattled president at the time, Bashar al-Assad, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.

The remarks in a speech gave a new glimpse into Israel’s thinking and activities during Assad’s final days in power, prior to his overthrow by Islamist-led insurgents last December.

Speaking at a conference hosted by the Jewish News Syndicate in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that Iran sought to save Assad after watching the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group in neighboring Lebanon suffer heavy losses in fighting with Israel.

“They had to rescue Assad,” Netanyahu said, claiming that Iran wanted to send “one or two airborne divisions” to help the Syrian leader.

“We stopped that. We sent some F-16s to some Iranian planes that were making some routes to Damascus,” he said. “They turned back.”

He gave no further details.

In the days leading up to the fall of Assad, Israel had observed Tehran sending troops to bolster the Syrian dictator, and warned it against taking the opportunity to smuggle weapons across the border into Lebanon.
Syria boosts security at desecrated tomb of Jewish mystic in Damascus
New footage aired Monday evening on Israel’s Kan public broadcaster showed a freshly dug pit beside the tomb, evidence of an apparent effort to remove the 16th-century rabbi’s bones. Syrian gunmen were seen standing near the site, though their exact role was unclear.

Rabbi Chaim Vital (1542–1620) was one of the most influential figures in Jewish mysticism. Born in Safed, he became the foremost disciple of Rabbi Isaac Luria, the founder of modern Kabbalah. Vital’s writings, including Etz Chaim ("Tree of Life") and Shaar HaGilgulim ("The Gate of Reincarnations"), helped preserve and spread Luria’s teachings, shaping centuries of Jewish thought.

In his later years, Vital relocated to Damascus, where he lived until his death in 1620. His burial site has long been revered as a Jewish holy site, although today almost no Jews remain in Syria following decades of persecution and war.

Rabbi Hamra’s office confirmed that after he appealed to Syrian authorities, local security teams were dispatched to protect the site. A special international emergency task force was also reportedly established to monitor developments.

"The pain is immense, and the desecration of this sacred site is extremely serious," Hamra said in a statement.


Seth Frantzman: Tehran in trouble: Deadly port explosion leaves Iran in a bind
The explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port has become a major challenge for Iran.

The death toll continued to rise into Monday, reaching at least 65, Iranian officials said.

This is a challenge for Tehran. It can’t ignore the explosion, and it is embarrassing for the regime.

On the other hand, it can use this to get sympathy. Iran is trying to shore up support from Russia and China as it navigates a potential deal with the US over its nuclear program. Iran needs to show it is stable and can secure sites such as ports. If it can’t secure them, then how can it secure its nuclear program?

Iranian state media Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Monday about the continued losses due to the explosion.

“Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, director general of Hormozgan crisis management department, says that 46 individuals are now confirmed dead following a powerful explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran,” the report said. Already, 1,072 people had been discharged from the hospital with more minor injuries; 138 people are still in the hospital.

The Iranian report said, “The injured people were treated by five hospitals, including Khatam al-Anbiya, Shahid Mohammadi, Khalij-e Fars, Saheb Al Zaman, and the army’s Sayed Al-Shuhada. A total of 70 ambulances were deployed to transport those injured in this incident.”

Iran says it is investigating the cause of the explosion. Many rumors are swirling.


Sweden sentences four teens over shooting attack on Israeli defense company
A Swedish court sentenced four teenagers to prison on Monday for their involvement in a shooting attack that targeted an office of Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems in Gothenburg last year.

A 13-year-old boy opened fire on the entrance to the firm’s office on October 10, 2024.

He was arrested shortly after but was not charged since he was below Sweden’s age of criminal responsibility of 15.

No one was injured in the shooting in Sweden’s second-largest city. The verdict did not mention any motive for the attack.

However, the Gothenburg district court sentenced four others on Monday for their roles in recruiting the young boy, supplying the gun and organizing the shooting.

One 19-year-old was handed a five-year prison sentence for “involving a minor in a crime,” as well as aiding a weapons offense and aiding an unlawful threat.
Conspiracy theories and videos of Hitler - Inside the sick chat rooms being promoted on stickers across Manchester
Stickers and posters fixed to lampposts across Manchester are linking people to far-right chat rooms where racists share extreme content celebrating Hitler, a Manchester Evening News investigation can reveal.

The stickers, which have been found on lampposts, signs and bus stops at multiple locations throughout the city appear to be targeted at commuters, and direct people via QR codes to forums filled with racist and antisemitic propaganda.

Deansgate, Princess Street, Oxford Street, Trinity Way and Tib Street have all been targeted, with stickers found in at least one location on each road.

The chatrooms, which vary depending on the QR code or website accessed from the stickers, are filled with Neo-Nazi and White Supremacy conspiracy theories.

Upon entering ‘The British Movement’ chatroom, linked to via one of the stickers, readers are quickly reminded of the disturbing reality of Nazi and far-right ideology.

The groups post antisemitism, racism, islamophobia and xenophobia on an almost hourly basis.

Glorified archival footage of Adolf Hitler mixed with modern electronic music and captions like “Hail” and “Happy Birthday dear Hitler, Happy Birthday to you” are smeared across the chatroom, as members like posts and add heart emojis in response.

Another post shows a picture of 27 militant men in an undisclosed location, dressed in all black with ski masks, holding a painting of Adolf Hitler, with flags stating “white men, fight back”.

One post shows a group of four men holding Nazi signs in an Oldham pub in celebration of the ‘136th Birthday of Uncle A’. This celebration included a Nazi flag cake, adorned with a black swastika.
Police investigate neo-Nazi gathering at Oldham pub as CST demands action
Police have launched an investigation after neo-Nazis celebrated Adolf Hitler’s birthday at a pub in Oldham, unveiling swastika flags and a cake decorated with a swastika.

Members of the British Movement, a fringe far-right group, gathered at the Duke of Edinburgh pub in Royston last Saturday. Footage posted on the group’s Telegram channel showed members unfurling Nazi banners, posing for photos and appearing to give Nazi salutes. One man was filmed wearing a German football shirt with “Fuhrer 44″ printed on the back.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed they are investigating the event as a possible Section 18 public order offence, which covers the use of threatening or abusive material intended to stir up racial hatred. A GMP spokesperson said the incident is being treated “with the utmost sensitivity and severity” and urged anyone with information to come forward.

Pub staff said they were unaware of what had taken place at the time. Jean Anderson, who is due to take over management of the Duke of Edinburgh, told the Manchester Evening News, “We thought it was a birthday party. They covered everything up. I have never seen them before, but they definitely won’t be coming in here again.”

Craft Union, which operates the pub, said it was “absolutely appalled” by the incident and confirmed that the group would not be welcome at any of its venues.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism and supports victims of hate crime, condemned the gathering. A CST spokesperson told Jewish News: “There is absolutely no place in any civilised society for those who celebrate hatred and evil. Honouring Hitler is not an act of free speech; it is a shameless glorification of one of the darkest crimes in human history. Neo-Nazism must be unequivocally condemned, and we urge the police to investigate.”
Nike faces backlash for ‘Never again, until next year’ slogan at London Marathon
Nike has come under fire after installing signs that read “Never again, until next year,” along the London Marathon route on Sunday.

The phrase ‘Never again’ is widely associated with the Holocaust and represents a global pledge to prevent similar atrocities from ever happening again. Its use in a marketing campaign has sparked anger.

“As a Jew living in London, I felt shocked, hurt, and angry to see the use of words in this context, even if no doubt in reference to the temporary pain of running 26 miles," retired British judge Nigel Litman, told Walla.

“‘Never Again’ is a phrase related to the Holocaust and the murder of six million Jews. It is directed as a prayer to the world that it will not allow such a horror to repeat itself. And over the past 18 months, it has been used more than ever, as we mourn the barbaric slaughter of more than 1,000 Israelis and long for the return of hostages kidnapped to the tunnels of Gaza.”

“The fact that the phrase is used as a marketing tool for the marathon is very indicative of the way it is treated. In fact, to chant ‘never again, until next year’ is exactly what Hamas promised: to repeat October 7 over and over again,” Litman added.

He clarified, “I am not arguing that Nike meant an antisemitic act, but he demonstrated how a serious and important comment is thrown aside as of little importance, despite the fact that for many Jews it is of enormous importance.”

The marathon took place just three days after Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, amid a broader rise in global antisemitism. Britain alone experienced its second-worst year for antisemitic incidents in 2024, with over 3,500 recorded cases. Approximately 56,000 runners took part in the London Marathon on Sunday, according to the BBC.


Swiss fencers apologize for turning backs on Israeli flag, anthem after loss
Switzerland’s youth fencing team apologized Monday, two days after sparking a diplomatic fracas by refusing to face the flag of the Israeli winners at the European championship in Estonia.

Following its defeat against Israel in the final of the under-23 championships in Tallinn on Saturday, the four-man Swiss team did not join the Israelis and the third-placed Italians in turning toward the flags during the playing of the winner’s national anthem.

The four teammates — Ian Hauri, Theo Brochard, Jonathan Fuhrimann and Sven Vineis — issued a joint apology on Instagram after drawing ire in Israel and Switzerland alike for politicizing the sporting event.

“We wish to explain our actions and express our regret,” they said in their message, stressing that they did not reflect “any contempt for Israel.”

Instead, they said they had merely wanted to express their “sadness and empathy for the great human suffering of the civilian population” on all sides, during the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terror group in Gaza.
Quentin Tarantino buys Tel Aviv property for $13.8 million
Renowned filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and his spouse, Israeli singer Daniella Pick, recently bought property in Tel Aviv for an estimated 50 million shekels (~$13.8 million), Hebrew media reported on Sunday.

The land, approximately half an acre, currently has two old buildings on it, according to Israeli business daily Globes.

The couple plans to demolish the two adjacent houses and erect one large home instead, according to the report.

The property is situated in the northern Tel Aviv neighborhood of Tel Baruch, at the corner of Yaakov and Maskit Streets. The neighborhood boasts relatively large homes on spacious lots, and provides plenty of privacy for its residents north of the Yarkon River.

Many are currently being demolished in favor of newer, more contemporary homes.

The two lots purchased by the famous couple are a combined 23,464 square feet, according to Globes.

The previous owner, Israeli businessman Nissim Cabilly, bought the land for 35 million shekels ($9.7 million) in 2021, according to the report.
Holocaust survivors and ex-servicemen pay tribute at Bergen Belsen
The deputy minister joined community leaders and survivors at the Bergen-Belsen memorial in Germany yesterday for the official ceremony marking 80 years since the camp’s liberation by British forces.

Led by AJEX The Jewish Military Association, a plane was charted to carry the 180-strong delegation from the UK, included survivors Mala Tribich, Susan Pollack, Peter Lantos and Alfred Harwood, descendants of liberators and survivors, cadets, veterans, Jewish serving personnel, government officials and community leaders.

The delegation took part in the international commemorations where Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner MP spoke and laid a wreath with Defence Minister Lord Coaker.

They were assisted by cadets from the JFS / JCoSS combined cadet force and the North London and Middlesex army cadets.

A wreath was also laid by AJEX veterans Ron Shelley and Ivan Sugarman with the salute from Dan Fox, AJEX national chair.

There followed a ceremony at the Jewish memorial with the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, Rabbi Reuben Livingstone and music from the Shabbaton Choir.

Wreaths were laid by Angela Rayner MP, Rachel Riley and Lt Col Simon Soskin.

Dan Fox, AJEX National Chair said: “Nothing could have prepared the men of the 11th Armoured Division for what they confronted as they entered Bergen-Belsen on 15th April 1945.

“Within its confines, they came face-to-face with the last belt of Hitler’s genocidal conveyor. That day, British soldiers turned destruction into the beginning of repair and nightmares into the start of hope. We honour them all today: liberators, survivors and those who lost their lives”.
Jewish orgs welcome mayor’s apology for Amsterdam’s role in WWII persecution of Jews
The two main Jewish organizations in the Netherlands, the Central Jewish Consultation (CJO) and the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), have positively received Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema’s apology for the role the Dutch municipality played in the persecution of Jewish citizens during World War II, the Jonet.nl website reported.

Speaking on Thursday at an event marking Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, Halsema said that civil servants in Amsterdam played an active role in the murder of some thousands of Jewish citizens of the city.

The government at the time “let its Jewish residents down terribly,” said Halsema.

Of the estimated 80,000 Jews who lived in Amsterdam at the outbreak of World War II, only some 20,000 survived. Among those deported was teenage diarist Anne Frank and her family. Only her father, Otto, survived.

“The Amsterdam government, when it came down to it, was not heroic, not determined and not merciful. And it let its Jewish residents down terribly,” the mayor said.

“On behalf of the city government, I offer my apologies for this,” she added in an address at Hollandsche Schouwburg, a theater which operated as a collection point for Jews who were deported to extermination camps.

She related how the municipality helped with the registration of Jewish citizens and the drawing up of cards to indicate where Jews lived.

“Services were prepared to help enact one after the other of anti-Jewish measures,” she says. “Step by step, the municipal machine became part of the machinery of evil.”

Halsema’s apology came six months after what she described as “an eruption of antisemitism” in which Israeli fans were assaulted in the city after a football game with Maccabi Tel Aviv. The attacks garnered headlines worldwide and more than 60 suspects were arrested.
When the world closed its doors, the Dominican Republic opened its arms
On the golden sands of Alicia Beach, where the Caribbean’s turquoise waves crash against the shore, I found myself caught between two worlds: the vibrant life of the Dominican Republic today and the desperate voyage of the few hundred Jews who, in 1940, first set foot here as refugees from Nazi terror.

It was Holocaust Remembrance Day, and in this unlikely corner of the globe, I was reminded that, amid the world’s indifference, one nation dared to open its doors.

In July 1938, representatives from 32 countries gathered at Évian-les-Bains, France, summoned by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to confront the mounting Jewish refugee crisis. Delegates spoke eloquently of compassion, yet each returned home to tighten immigration quotas, bound by economic anxieties or political calculations.

Only one government rose above reticence: under Rafael Trujillo, the Dominican Republic pledged to accept up to 100,000 Jewish refugees – an offer inspired in part by a sense of humanitarian responsibility in the wake of the 1937 Parsley Massacre, and by a belief that welcoming European immigrants could spur economic development and cultural exchange.

In practice, just 700 to 800 souls made the arduous journey, most settling in Sosúa, a nascent agricultural colony on the island’s northern coast. Each family received 33 hectares of land, cattle, mules, horses, and a modest loan to cultivate a new life.

Though the fields yielded little in those first years – unforgiving soil, unpredictable rains, and isolation tested the settlers’ resilience – the seeds of community and hope took root. Today, descendants of those settlers still walk Sosúa’s streets, named in tribute to pioneers such as Elbarote and others whose names quietly line the signposts.

Standing before the large sculpture of a Magen David at the memorial on Alicia Beach – an Israeli flag unfurled beside the Dominican standard – I closed my eyes. I pictured those first boats, their silhouettes emerging through the palm fronds.
From Bully Survivor to Jewish Activi.st, Brandon Farbstein Is a Giant
Born with a rare form of dwarfism, the social media influencer is turning adversity into empathy and making a real difference in the world.

Childhood Friend of Hersh Goldberg-Polin
A cause close to his heart is advocating for the release of Hamas hostages. Hersh Goldberg-Polin was Farbstein’s beloved childhood friend. They went to Aleph Bet Preschool in Richmond, Virginia together, and Hersh’s mother, Rachel, taught Farbstein’s mother, Sylvia, at the Weinstein Jewish Community Center. Farbstein stated, “I know for a fact if our roles were reversed, he would have shouted from the top of the tallest building until he had no ability to speak anymore to fight for my release.”

While on a trip to Israel for social media influencers in May, Rachel came over to Farbstein to tell him how she fondly remembered his sister calling her applesauce ‘strapplesauce’ because she added strawberries to it. Farbstein had not seen Rachel since he was five years old. Sylvia elaborated, “Brandon was in awe that even in the midst of such unimaginable trauma, Rachel had the ability to recall such a small moment from over 20 years ago. Rachel has the remarkable ability to make others feel like they matter.” Farbstein added, “Such a small moment like that meant everything, because it shows you the love and the epitome of light that she is.”

He said that Rachel and her husband, Jon, inspire him to “show up in as much light as I can for other people, so that it's a domino effect and they could do the same.”

Jewish Leader
Last month, Farbstein returned to Israel, where he met with President of Israel Isaac Herzog to discuss his newly appointed role as one of 150 Jewish leaders chosen to join Herzog’s global “Voice of the People” council. Launched last year, the initiative addresses challenges faced by the Jewish community, and encourages unity and resilience. Farbstein’s focus will be fostering Jewish and non-Jewish relations.

Farbstein’s own experiences have not led him to harbor hate and mistrust in his heart but rather to seek out our allies in the Jewish community. “We can't do any of this alone,” he explained. “Especially in the last year, we've been forced to find our people. And I'm not just talking about surrounding ourselves with other Jews, but really the allies (who say), ‘I may not know what it's like to be in your shoes right now, but I stand with you and support you in whatever you need.’”
AJC partners with USC Shoah Foundation to create largest archive on Jew-hatred
More than 2,000 people from 60 countries gathered in New York City on Sunday for the American Jewish Committee’s Global Forum 2025, where AJC unveiled a partnership with the USC Shoah Foundation to collect contemporary testimonies of antisemitism.

The testimonial archive aims to collect 10,000 accounts from across the United States and the world, documenting incidents of antisemitism since 1945. Once completed, it is expected to be the largest archive of its kind.

Ted Deutch, CEO of AJC, said at the opening evening plenary that the project was inspired by the agency’s research showing that personal testimonials are the most effective tools for combating Jew-hatred.

“We must clearly show to the world—and preserve for the future—what antisemitism is, what it looks like and the personal toll it takes on Jews around the world,” he said at the event. “AJC has seen, firsthand, the way antisemitism has morphed and manifested itself in different ways since the end of the Holocaust.”

Deutch emphasized the power of personal testimonies in not only “changing hearts and minds but in winning support for policies that protect Jewish communities.”

“The USC Shoah Foundation’s collection of testimonies will forever capture the personal experiences of thousands of Jewish people, enabling us to tell our story and share it with generations to come,” he said.

Keynote speakers at the April 27-29 conference included Santiago Peña, the president of Paraguay; retired U.S. Army officer John Spencer, an urban-warfare expert; and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), who received the Nita M. Lowey Congressional Leadership Award for his advocacy on behalf of the Jewish people.


'No independence while they're still there': Yarden Bibas calls to bring hostages home
Former Gaza hostage Yarden Bibas called on Israelis to post themselves with the sentence 'I have no independence because they are still there' in a social media post calling for the return of the hostages on Monday.

"On Israel’s 76th Independence Day, I was in a tunnel, and I didn’t think that in Israel, we would be celebrating Independence Day during a war and while there were hostages in captivity," Bibas wrote.

"On the 77th Independence Day, there is still a war, and there are still hostages, only this time I am home. I returned to an empty home, and after everything I went through—and am still going through—I still call this country home and choose life every single day."

Bibas wrote that he could not celebrate his independence while there were still hostages in Gaza, adding that he would not be able to rest until everyone is home.

"Please, let the phrase 'to be a free people in our land' be true for everyone," he wrote, asking his followers to change their profile pictures to include the phrase in solidarity.


Beaten, blinded, sewn without anesthetic: Alon Ohel's family speaks on his captivity
Hostage Alon Ohel is suffering from serious injuries to his head and has shrapnel wounds, his family said on Monday.

Speaking from Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, the family revealed previously unknown information about Ohel’s status, according to Ynet, sharing information they learned a number of days ago from a freed captive held with him.

“Alon is injured. He lost sight in one eye, and we know that his other eye can be saved,” his father, Kobi Ohel, said.

Taken captive on October 7 from the “death shelter” along with additional hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ohel sustained shrapnel wounds from some of the grenades thrown into the shelter, his mother, Idit, said.

He was then physically abused and tortured, his mother said, adding that he received “disgraceful treatment from Hamas – a 19-year-old sewed him up with needle and thread, with no pain killer.”

Ohel parents present hostage deal proposal
His parents also proposed an idea for a hostage deal that would first focus on wounded hostages, removing them to agreed-on countries where they would receive medical treatment.

This would be followed by the renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza, before the final stage, when a deal would see all hostages still held returned to Israel, the family proposed.

“We can’t sleep at night knowing that Alon is not home. And we can’t sleep knowing that there are countries providing medical treatment to Gaza residents, while wounded hostages are being held without care and are in life-threatening condition,” Idit said.

“Which country allows this? What international law permits it? Gaza is violating every basic international norm by holding wounded individuals without providing medical treatment.”

Ohel’s family said it presented this deal to the government and IDF officials, who said they would examine it.




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

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