Sunday, May 25, 2025

05/25 Links: Welcome to the Global Intifada; What Began as Propaganda Ends in Murder; U.K. one of the top three sources of funding for Hamas

From Ian:

Bari Weiss: Welcome to the Global Intifada
A gunman opened fire outside of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington and murdered two young people because he thought they were Jews and because they were at a Jewish place for an event hosted by a Jewish organization. Yaron Lischinsky was born in Israel to a Jewish father and a Christian mother. He was raised partly in Germany and spoke German, Hebrew, and Japanese.

Sarah Milgrim was an American Jew who began working at the Israeli Embassy in November 2023. She had two master's degrees, including one in natural resources and sustainable development from the UN University for Peace. The event they attended was about delivering humanitarian relief across the region, including to Palestinians in Gaza.

The shooter's evil worldview says that Jews and those who support the Jewish state - wherever they live - are now acceptable targets and deserving of death. Since Oct. 7, the professional talkers have dismissed chants to "globalize the intifada" as a metaphor and not what it always was: a demand for open season on Jewish people worldwide.

Venomous, untrue statements about Israel, its supporters, and the war against Hamas in Gaza chipped away at the old taboo against open antisemitism in America. A democratic state and its supporters have been made into targets through constant demonization of Zionists.
What Hitler saw in Évian, Hamas sees in Paris.
In January 1942, some 15 Nazi bureaucrats met at a lakeside villa in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee.

There were no slogans, no shouting — just clipped speech, memoranda, and a logistical blueprint for the Final Solution. The annihilation of the Jewish People wasn’t argued. It was scheduled.

Eighty-three years later, the same cold, clinical mindset has returned — not in Berlin, but in Paris and New York, under the banners of “diplomacy” and “humanitarian” concern.

In June 2025, two back-to-back international conferences— one in Paris (June 11th to 13th), and another chaired by France and Saudi Arabia at the United Nations in New York (June 16th to June 18) — will set a new administrative order in motion. Their shared goal? To engineer the dismantling of the Jewish state through law, public relations, and process.

Just as Wannsee coordinated trains and deportation schedules, these modern-day gatherings are coordinating something no less methodical: the delegitimization of Israel, the demonization of its right to self-defense, and the application of double standards so suffocating they leave no space for Jewish sovereignty.

It is, as an Israeli politician, human rights activist, and author Natan Sharansky defined it, the “Three Ds” of antisemitism, operationalized not by stormtroopers, but by ambassadors and NGOs.

Behind the Paris initiative stands not only French President Emmanuel Macron, but his Israeli advisor Ofer Bronchtein, one of the architects of the Oslo Accords1 — what Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist Charles Krauthammer once called “perhaps the most catastrophic, self-inflicted wound by any state in modern history.”

Bronchtein’s summit, the “Paris Call for Peace and Two States,” claims to gather civil society (Palestinians and Israelis, artists and academics, activists and businesspeople) in a grand gesture of “grassroots consensus.”

But it is nothing of the sort. It is the prelude to coercion. It is tightly scripted performance staged by the organizers of the 2001 anti-Zionist orgy that took place under UN sponsorship with a similarly Orwellian title of “The World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.” (h/t Varda Meyers Epstein)
Jonathan Sacerdoti: Israel Is Prepared to Go It Alone in Gaza
For many in Jerusalem, the statements of condemnation from the UK, France and Canada are not only short-sighted but morally confounding. The January truce left Hamas's leadership intact, hostages still underground, and humanitarian aid channels co-opted by the very organization accused of starting the war. It delivered a pause that allowed Hamas to regroup.

This time, Israel appears resolved not to make the same mistake. The new offensive is targeting the remaining Hamas strongholds in a final attempt to break Hamas's grip on Gaza, even at the cost of international rebuke. Israel believes there is no viable alternative.

Allegations of mass starvation continue to circulate, yet images emerging from Gaza frequently show children at food distribution points who appear healthy, even energetic. Tragedy must be documented, but so must manipulation.

Israel is walking a tightrope between strategic necessity and moral scrutiny, its actions judged under a microscope often devoid of the enemy's context. But there is also a clarity emerging that Hamas, not Israel, remains the principal architect of this war and the primary obstacle to its end. Whether the international community is willing to see that will shape the outcome as much as anything on the battlefield.


Report: U.K. one of the top three sources of funding for Hamas
One of Hamas’ top three sources of funding is the U.K., where it is a banned terrorist organization, an investigation from Israel’s Channel 12 found. That funding includes 25% of Hamas’ donors from non-state actors, as well as tens of millions of dollars from the government of the U.K. to a UNICEF program whose beneficiaries are determined by Hamas.

The U.K., France and Canada threatened Israel last week with “concrete actions” if it does not lift restrictions on humanitarian aid and work with United Nations agencies to distribute it.

The U.K., Canada and the European Union — of which France is a member— as well as Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Mauritius and Croatia, sponsored a project through UNICEF, the U.N. Children’s Emergency Fund, for which a Hamas-run ministry provides a list of people to receive funding.

The program provides cash payments of $200-$300 per month to 546,000 needy people in Gaza. UNICEF said that it works with a “beneficiary list from the MoSD,” meaning the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Social Development, to determine who receives the cash. The program uses a digital platform funded by USAID to distribute the cash. UNICEF published an update on the program as recently as November 2024.

MoSD is led by Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’ politburo, designated a “senior Hamas official” by the U.S. Treasury Department.

A 2022 document from the U.K. Foreign Office, uncovered by NGO Monitor, showed that London was aware of Hamas’ involvement with the program and that it had the potential for “severe” reputational damage.

“The cash assistance component will be implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Social Development MoSD. The MoSD in Gaza is affiliated with the de facto authorities and thus UK Aid can be linked directly or indirectly with supporting the de facto authority (Hamas) in Gaza which is part of a proscribed group,” the document reads.

The U.K. gave about $23.1 million to UNICEF projects in the West Bank and Gaza in 2024, and $4.8 million in 2023.

NGO Monitor’s legal Advisor, Anne Herzberg, noted that it is unclear how much of that funding went to the Gaza cash program.

“There is very little detail from the U.K. side about how much is going in, what oversight is in place, what exactly they are doing to mitigate the risk” of money going to Hamas, Herzberg told Jewish Insider on Sunday. “A lot of countries are giving funds to the U.N. and just leave it in their hands.”
NGO Monitor: Hamas Influences UK Funded Gaza Cash Programme
Lack of Vetting
According to documents received by NGO Monitor in the course of a Freedom of Information appeal, the UK does not sufficiently vet local implementing partners. This is especially concerning given the significant number of terror-linked NGOs operating in the region, including in partnership with the UN.

For instance, during NGO Monitor’s 1 February 2024 appeal hearing against the FCDO before the First-tier Tribunal Regulatory Chamber Information Rights, an FCDO official testified under oath that, “The FCDO conducts its own due diligence process for its main project partners, and then relies on those partners to do their own due diligence for any subcontractors based on global criteria. In this particular case, FCDO did a due diligence exercise itself for NRC [Norwegian Refugee Council]. FCDO did not directly vet NRC’s sub-partners, but instead provided them with criteria for assessing those sub-partners” (26 March 2024 First-tier Tribunal General Regulatory Chamber Information Rights decision, paragraph 49; on file with NGO Monitor).

Lack of Transparency
As noted, FCDO lack of transparency regarding funding programs in the West Bank and Gaza is particularly problematic.

According to the FCDO’s DevTracker, which catalogues Ministry spending, since October 2023, FCDO has committed approximately £100 million for “UK Humanitarian Support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.” Of this funding, approximately £95 million is listed as going to “supplier name redacted.”


Eitan Fischberger: Another Gazan “Journalist” Who Was Anything But
Earlier today, Al Jazeera and various Palestinian outlets reported that Hassan Majdi Abu Warda, a so-called “journalist” in Gaza and head of something called Barq News, was killed in an IDF airstrike.

But as we've seen time and again, the term “journalist” gets thrown around pretty loosely in the Gaza Strip. So let’s take a closer look at who Abu Warda really was, shall we?

In two separate social media posts, Abu Warda and his Barq News praised the “35th Jihadi Launch” and expressed solidarity with a battalion, invoking the slogan “Until Jerusalem”—a common rallying cry among jihadist factions.

By the way, below is a screenshot from Barq News’ Telegram channel. It goes without saying, but this is not what a “media outlet” posts:

Abu Warda appeared deeply fixated on the idea of waging jihad to “return to Jerusalem.” Multiple posts of his feature this language, almost always accompanied by images of armed militants.

Many of Abu Warda’s posts glorify Islamic Jihad—revealing his obvious allegiance to the US-designated terrorist organization. For example, here we have Abu Warda glorifying an Islamic Jihad terrorist referred to as Abu Muhammad. And in another particularly illuminating post, he published a picture of an Islamic Jihad terrorist alongside a caption reading:
"You created glory when you willed it...
And from your blood, our determination was fueled...
You wove light into our darkness...
And from your blood, a glorious victory was born...
Your rifles in your hands became swords...
A light for Jerusalem and Palestine...

This is the 'Jenin Battalion' — and expect more to come."
Man arrested at JFK after he attempts to bomb US Embassy in Tel Aviv
American authorities arrested a man at JFK International Airport after he attempted to bomb the US Embassy office in Tel Aviv, NBC reported on Sunday.

Joseph Neumayer, a dual American-German citizen, was arrested after spitting on a security guard in front of the embassy on May 19. He was initially detained by guards, but managed to break free.

He left behind a backpack with three Molotov cocktails and was arrested in his hotel room in Tel Aviv. Israeli authorities deported him and returned him to the United States on Sunday.

NBC reported that he posted earlier on that day: “Join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America, death to Americans, and f--- the west.” Neumayer could face up to 20 years in prison.

The DOJ release added that posts of Neumayer had also pointed to a plan to assassinate US President Donald Trump.

US Attorney-General Pam Bondi said that her office would not "tolerate violence in our homeland or violence targeting US interests abroad."

“This defendant is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump’s life,” said Bondi in the release. “The Department will not tolerate such violence and will prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”

FBI Director Kash Patel added that Neumayer's "despicable and violent behavior" and added that it would not be tolerated "at home or abroad."

Israeli authorities have not commented on the matter at the time of this report.
US asks Israel to delay major ground invasion of Gaza amid hostage deal talks - exclusive
The United States has asked Israel in recent days to delay its full-scale military operation in Gaza as part of efforts to exhaust negotiations for a hostage deal, two sources familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

The request included two key components: Delay the full-scale operation in Gaza and enable ongoing negotiations to proceed in parallel with the military operation.

While Israel is currently conducting significant operations in Gaza, officials in Jerusalem have made it clear that once the full-scale ground operation begins, Israel will not withdraw from areas it enters, even as part of a potential deal. Moreover, the possibility of a ceasefire as part of any agreement would become more complicated.

“Once the maneuver begins, we will act with full force and will not stop until all objectives are achieved,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said several days ago.

Netanyahu is prepared for a temporary ceasefire to bring back hostages
Despite the ongoing military activity and as a result of Israeli statements, the US has asked Israel to allow the current negotiations for a potential hostage deal to continue. “If there’s an opportunity for a temporary ceasefire to bring back hostages, we are prepared for that,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last Wednesday.

Israel decided to recall its delegation from Qatar last Thursday after Hamas insisted on American guarantees to end the war as part of any agreement.

Israeli officials maintain that the only deal currently on the table is the "Witkoff framework," which includes the release of 10 hostages and a 60-day ceasefire. An Israeli source told the Post a few days ago, “It’s deadlocked.”

Although the Israeli delegation has left Qatar, the US administration continues indirect talks with Hamas through Dr. Bashara Bahbah, who previously led the “Arab Americans for Trump” campaign.
Envoy to US to be summoned for hearing over remarks bashing PM’s political opponents
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter will be summoned for questioning, the Foreign Ministry announced Sunday, following media backlash over the envoy’s politically charged interview with the right-wing outlet Prager U, during which he criticized opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar Tal will summon Leiter “for a hearing regarding remarks he made during a media interview” in accordance with “the directive of the Senior Director of the Disciplinary Division at the Civil Service Commission,” the ministry said in a statement.

In the interview published over the weekend, Leiter claimed that “the extreme left and the media” are doing everything in their power to topple Netanyahu, and that political opponents of the premier, who have accused him of dragging out the war in Gaza for political gain, are guilty of a “blood libel.”

“It’s legitimate to oppose a government. I’ve opposed governments in my political career, and that’s fine. But don’t cross the border, don’t cross the line. Don’t level blood libels at your own prime minister,” Leiter said.

“I’ve known the prime minister for 40 years. He’s a sensitive man who cares about people. Prolong a war? What kind of insanity is that? How dare they say something as malicious as that? He wants the war to end, but in victory because he carries the weight of the Jewish people on his shoulders.”

Top Middle East, Israel and Iran officials pushed out of NSC
The top National Security Council officials overseeing the Middle East and Israel and Iran portfolios — seen as pro-Israel voices in the administration — were among the dozens of officials dismissed in a widespread purge of the NSC on Friday, two sources familiar with the situation told Jewish Insider.

Eric Trager, who was the senior director for the Middle East and North Africa — the lead official on the Middle East — and Merav Ceren, the director for Israel and Iran, were both Trump administration political appointees but were pushed out in what one official called a purge of “the Deep State” inside the NSC.

Their firings come as voices skeptical of the U.S.’ role in the Middle East increasingly establish a foothold in the administration, and as President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also the acting national security advisor, seek to restructure and slim down the key foreign policy-making body.

According to Axios, officials cut from the NSC will be moved to other positions in the government. Ceren previously came under fire from the far left and far right after false claims that she had previously worked as an Israeli Ministry of Defense official generated accusations of dual loyalty.

NSC spokesman Brian Hughes defended Ceren at the time and denied the accusations, describing her as “a patriotic American who has served in the United States government for years, including for President Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, and Congressman James Comer. We are thrilled to have her expertise in the NSC, where she carries out the President’s agenda on a range of Middle East issues.” He said she “was never employed by the Israeli Defense Ministry, let alone was she an Israeli official.”
Pentagon promotes Kingsley Wilson to press secretary despite history of antisemitic comments
Kingsley Wilson, a deputy press secretary at the Department of Defense who has come under fire from Democratic and Republican lawmakers and Jewish communal organizations for promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories, has been promoted to serve as the department’s press secretary, the Pentagon announced on Friday.

“Kingsley’s leadership has been integral to the DoD’s success & we look forward to her continued service to President [Donald] Trump,” Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman and a senior advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, posted on X on Friday.

When Wilson was named deputy press secretary in March, she faced widespread condemnation for dozens of tweets viewed as antisemitic and racist. On two different occasions, she attacked the Anti-Defamation League for sharing its origin story — the organization was founded after the lynching of Leo Frank, an Atlanta Jew widely believed to have been wrongly convicted of raping and murdering a white child over a century ago.

“Leo Frank raped and murdered a 13-year-old girl,” Wilson wrote in 2023 in response to a post from the ADL, and repeated the claim a year later. “He also tried to frame a black man for his crime. The ADL is despicable.” (The tweet has not been deleted.)
John Bolton: Starmer’s turn against Israel will prolong war
The anti-Israel strategy unfolded across the Middle East immediately after October 7. From the beginning, Israel saw Gaza as part of a wider war, not merely a discrete conflict. Now far more evident than at the outset, however, is the war’s economic dimension, a critical factor long before October 7.

Iran and other regional states, groups and individuals provided billions of dollars, directly and through international agencies like UNRWA, ostensibly for humanitarian aid. Tragically, however, as we now know, Hamas diverted much of these “humanitarian” resources to build Gaza’s underground fortress of tunnel networks; armed itself to the hilt (including with missile arsenals capable of menacing all Israel); and effectively mobilised most Gazans to serve as human shields for that fortress. If Hamas kept adequate records that can be recovered, the story will embarrass those who enabled this massive fraud, particularly in the West.

Meanwhile, Jerusalem is pursuing its post-October 7 goals, which must include eliminating all potential assets, in cash or in kind, Hamas can use to retain control over Gaza’s population. Working through UNRWA over decades, Hamas seized control over the distribution of virtually all humanitarian supplies entering Gaza. Credible reports (and Hamas records, if recovered) demonstrate how the terrorists rewarded their cadres at the expense of others, using control over the internal distribution of supplies in Gaza to cement their political control.

This pattern is nothing new. After the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein used the UN’s “Oil for Food” programme to gain control over Iraq’s population. As originally conceived, an intrusive UN presence would use Iraq’s oil revenues for humanitarian aid to its people, thus ensuring the non-political delivery of assistance to the truly needy, while also demonstrating to Iraqis that Saddam had effectively lost control of his country. He repeatedly rejected this model, until the Clinton administration conceded that his regime would disburse Oil-for-Food aid. That mistake helped Saddam reinforce his authoritarian grip, repress Kurds and other dissidents, and again threaten his neighbours,

Hamas has thus simply been following Saddam’s plan. Israel, by contrast, has followed principles Herbert Hoover first articulated in World War I when he organised relief programs in Europe, starting in Belgium. Hoover ordered that no aid would go to combatants, and that his volunteers would distribute the aid, or at least rigorously monitor delivery to prevent diversion to combatants.

Hamas scorned Hoover’s principles, and continues to do so. Comments by Starmer, Lammy and others ignore both the reality in Gaza today and Hoover’s wise admonitions about ensuring that relief goes to those who actually need it, not those who use the aid to oppress them.

Israel has a plan to aid Gazans, backed by Washington but opposed by the UN. Instead of criticising Israel, Starmer should support and help perfect Jerusalem’s plan and thereby properly deliver humanitarian assistance.

The only way Gazans can ever be free is to eliminate the curse of Hamas. And because Gaza is part of Iran’s larger war against Israel and the West, that will happen only when Iranians are free of the ayatollahs. That should be our common goal.


Starmer’s criticism of Israel was met with ‘terrorist cheers’, says Badenoch
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s public criticism of Israel “does not send the right message” and led to “terrorist cheers” from Hamas, Kemi Badenoch has said.

Earlier this week, Sir Keir, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the Israeli government’s “egregious” actions in Gaza, warning the UK and allies will take “concrete actions” unless Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu changes course.

The statement was condemned by Mr Netanyahu and he accused the world leaders of “emboldening Hamas”.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Conservative leader Mrs Badenoch joined in condemning Sir Keir.

She said: “You should do it in a way that does not have Hamas cheering – Hamas praised that statement.

“Sending a signal to Hamas like that does not send the right message, you should not have terrorist cheers.”

Mrs Badenoch said she supports a two-state solution, but warned: “There are 58 hostages still not returned to Israel – we want a two-state solution but we cannot have a terrorist state running one of those.

“Israel still is at war and we need to make sure the war they are having, a proxy war with Iran, is not one that damages our national interest. Iran is not our ally.”


Israel’s European allies abandon the Jewish state over renewed combat in Gaza: report
Many of Israel’s Western allies are quickly abandoning the Jewish state in protest over the all-out war and worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, according to a new report.

Before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greenlit a plan to block all aid from entering Gaza in March, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told the premier that such a move would trigger international backlash, drive away Israel’s allies and force a U-turn on the blockade, ultimately accomplishing nothing, Axios reported.

“This is exactly what happened,” a senior Israeli official told the outlet over the latest developments in Gaza.

Dozens of countries that have previously supported Israel, are now criticizing Netanyahu and threatening sanctions — including the UK, France, Canada and Spain.

“It was a huge mistake and was done mostly for domestic political considerations,” they added.

Netanyahu admitted to caving to international pressure last week when he ordered “basic” humanitarian aid to resume entering Gaza after allies warned him that they would not be able to support Israel amid widespread images of starving Palestinians.

But with only a few dozen trucks entering at a time — many of which have been ransacked by looters before ever reaching civilians — the shadow of famine still looms over the Palestinian enclave.

The lack of aid saw President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada and Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the UK threaten sanctions against Israel over the humanitarian crisis, as well as Netanyahu’s plan to occupy the entirety of the Gaza Strip and force Palestinians to undergo “voluntary migration.”

“If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response,” the western leaders said in a joint statement.
Spain calls for sanctions on Israel ahead of global summit
Spain’s foreign minister on Sunday called for sanctions against Israel to force an end to the war against Hamas in Gaza, ahead of a high-level summit in Madrid bringing together European and Arab nations critical of Israel.

“The international community must consider sanctions, we must do everything, consider everything to stop this war,” José Manuel Albares told France Info, as Spain prepared to host 20 countries and major international bodies. The summit aims to push for an immediate ceasefire and revive the two-state solution.

“Humanitarian aid must enter Gaza massively, unimpeded, neutrally, so that it is not Israel who decides who can eat and who cannot,” Albares said. He claimed that the war “no longer has any goal.”

On May 14, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called Israel a “genocidal state.” He has imposed an arms embargo on Israel and recognized a Palestinian state.


Eurovision cuts Israel from official 2025 album reel
The European Broadcasting Union has reignited Eurovision controversy by completely excluding Israel’s 2025 representative, Yuval Raphael, from the official album compilation video, despite her second-place finish and commanding victory in the public vote.

The deliberate omission has triggered widespread accusations of discriminatory treatment and double standards, particularly as competing nations received prominent showcasing in the promotional reel released Friday.

Raphael’s performance of “New Day Will Rise” resonated powerfully with Eurovision audiences, catapulting her from a disappointing 15th place in jury voting to an impressive second-place overall finish through massive public support. However, when the European Broadcasting Union unveiled its official Eurovision album compilation video on Friday, Raphael had vanished entirely from the celebratory montage that prominently featured sparkling stage presentations, dramatic soundtracks, and emotionally charged moments from performers from Austria, Estonia, Sweden, Germany and France.

The Eurovision’s official Instagram post quickly transformed into a heated forum for fans voicing their frustration.

One user commented, “It’s deeply disappointing to witness Israel, which secured second place in Eurovision this year, being deliberately excluded from this post. This contradicts the spirit of fairness and unity that the slogan ‘United by Music’ purports to embody. Selective inclusion represents more than mere disrespect—it reveals a double standard that countless viewers refuse to overlook.”

This exclusion continues a disturbing pattern that has developed over recent Eurovision cycles. In 2023, Noa Kirel‘s third-place achievement secured her prominent placement in the official compilation. The subsequent year saw Eden Golan‘s fifth-place performance omitted from promotional materials. Now, even securing second place overall has proven inadequate for inclusion.


Islamophobia training cancelled over teachers’ ‘anti-Semitic’ posts
A training session for psychotherapists on tackling Islamophobia was cancelled after three academics leading the event were accused of posting anti-Semitic material on social media.

Messages posted or shared by the trainers on X described Israel as a Nazi state and referred to “a Zionism problem” in healthcare institutions.

The event, organised by the professional body for psychotherapists, had been intended to help therapists and wellbeing practitioners become aware of the impact of Islamophobia on mental health.

But the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) cancelled the session after complaints about the three trainers prompted an internal investigation into their social media activities.

The speakers at the May 15 event were to have been Ghazala Mir, a professor of health equity and inclusion at the University of Leeds; Dr Tarek Younis, senior lecturer in psychology at Middlesex University, and Prof Ahmed Hankir, a consultant psychiatrist and visiting professor at the University of Cardiff.

An investigation was launched by the BABCP after UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), a legal charity, brought a number of their social media posts to its attention.

These included Prof Mir allegedly sharing posts which claimed that the “Zionist movement” placed “assets” from the state of Israel into the House of Lords and making references to “Zionist paymasters”.

Her posts also describe Israel as responsible for “genocide and apartheid”, both terms which are regarded as anti-Semitic by many Jews.

She also shared posts that equated Zionism with Nazism and described Israel as a Nazi state, a comparison regarded as anti-Semitic as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

On Oct 1 2024, Prof Mir reposted a tweet expressing “pure joy” at an Iranian missile attack against Israel
JPost Editorial: America cannot preach human rights while Jewish blood stains its capital
America cannot sermonize about human rights while Jewish blood stains its capital. The country that crushed the KKK and al-Qaida knows how to dismantle extremist networks; it only lacks the political will when the targets are Jews. If Washington shrugs Wednesday’s atrocity into the pile of daily shootings, it will invite a sequel – perhaps outside a Jewish school, perhaps on Capitol Hill itself.

“The blood libels against Israel come at the cost of blood, and they must be fought until eradicated,” Netanyahu warned. He is talking to you, America.

Lischinsky and Milgrim should have been choosing wedding music this week. Instead, their parents are choosing headstones. The United States owes them decisive action that makes the next would-be murderer think twice.

Because if a foreign diplomat can be executed on a Washington street for the crime of being Israeli, then every American promise of liberty, safety, and justice is just another empty slogan waiting to bleed.
Washington DC attack on Israeli Embassy staffers the culmination of Western governments allowing 'poisonous' anti-Semitic hatred to fester and grow for years
That this terrible deed happened in Washington, DC – the heart of the liberal-democratic Western world - should send a shiver thorough anyone who cherishes the values of freedom, decency, and mutual respect.

Because if it can happen in the heart of the free world, it can happen anywhere.

While many do stand with the Jewish people, Jewish communities around the world are still feeling justifiably anxious.

And as is so often the case, security will need to be reviewed and upgraded.

It is a devastating failure of the civilised world that Jews once again find themselves in the crosshairs of resurgent violent antisemitism.

Still, amid all the analysis and debate that will follow, we cannot lose sight of the human cost: a young man and a young woman, ready to start their lives together with hearts full of love were robbed of that future by someone with a heart full of hate.
Andrew Fox: What Began as Propaganda Ends in Murder
Two young Israeli Embassy staffers were gunned down in cold blood in Washington, D.C., America's capital. They weren't soldiers. They weren't armed. They weren't in Gaza. Let's not pretend this is an isolated act of violence. This murder is not random. It is the logical endpoint of 18 months of relentless, unpunished, institutionalized antisemitic propaganda unleashed across the globe since Oct. 7, 2023.

We have lived through a campaign of lies so grotesque it would be laughable if it weren't costing Israeli lives. The evidence of the slaughter and rape of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7 is overwhelming, horrifying, and undeniable. Every denial is a green light for the next massacre.

Israel is defending itself against a death cult that hides in hospitals, uses babies as shields, and brags about it on camera. Yet a whole chorus of willfully blind critics prefer to see war crimes where there are none, because it's Israel. Because it's the Jew among nations.

No one talks about the billions of dollars Hamas diverted from humanitarian aid. No one discusses the tunnels beneath the schools and hospitals. No one talks about the UN's open complicity with Hamas, because the narrative must be preserved: the Jews are guilty.

Every protest chant, every keffiyeh waved in London, New York, Berlin, and Paris, has carried with it a genocidal dream: to wipe Israel off the map. "From the river to the sea" is not a call for peace; it is a call for Jewish extermination. After today, let's stop pretending it is anything else.

The two young people died in the heart of the Free World because this genocidal rhetoric has been imported, incubated, and mainstreamed by Western institutions that have lost the moral courage to stand up for the values they supposedly believe in. The Muslim Brotherhood, banned in much of the Middle East, operates with impunity in the West, its ideology spread through "civil society" fronts and protest movements.

We have built a society where the right to protest, no matter how violent, threatening, or antisemitic, trumps the responsibility to tell the truth, protect minorities, or maintain public order. What began as propaganda ends in murder. What started with a hashtag ends with a bullet. The people who deny, distort, or defend Hamas's actions are complicit. This isn't about geopolitics. It's about basic decency. It's about whether Jewish blood is still considered sacred in the West, or expendable. We already know the answer.
Murdered Staffer Had Deep Ties to Messianic Community in Israel
They were just days away from a marriage proposal when a gunman cut their lives short.

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were leaving a reception for young Jewish diplomats at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on Wednesday evening when a man fired into their group. The young couple, both employees of the Israeli Embassy, were killed.

Lischinsky, a 30-year-old Israeli citizen, had deep ties to his country’s Messianic Jewish community.

“He was a godly young man, and he really just wanted to serve God and Israel with all his heart,” said Sandy Shoshani, whose husband, Oded Shoshani, pastors a Hebrew-speaking congregation in the King of Kings network in Jerusalem. “The family are precious friends and believers, strong in the Lord, and lovers of Israel.”

Shoshani said Lischinsky’s family has been a part of her congregation for more than 20 years, and all five of the family’s kids have served in the Israel Defense Forces. Lischinsky finished his master’s degree three years ago and immediately began working for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, according to Shoshani. She described him as an intelligent, warm, and funny guy who loved everyone he met.

Milgrim, 26, grew up in Kansas, where she was involved in Jewish student organizations. As a teenager, she witnessed an antisemitic hate crime that made her think about the threats faced by Jews in America.

“I worry about going to my synagogue,” she told a local TV station in 2017. “That shouldn’t be a thing.”

The couple attended the new members class at Church of the Ascension and Saint Agnes, an Episcopal church in Washington, Ryan Danker, a scholar at the John Wesley Institute, told CT. (h/t Varda Meyers Epstein)
Hundreds attend funeral outside Jerusalem for Israeli diplomat murdered in D.C.
Yaron Lischinsky was laid to rest on Sunday in Beit Zayit, a moshav outside of Jerusalem, after he was killed alongside his partner, Sarah Lynn Milgrim, by a shooter who shouted “Free Palestine” at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington on Wednesday.

Hundreds attended the funeral, according to sources present. The funeral was closed to the media at the family’s request. Among those who attended were Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel and Lischinsky’s direct superior at the embassy, Minister-Counselor for Middle East Affairs Noa Ginosar, who accompanied his body to Israel.

Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog spoke at the funeral and told Jewish Insider that Lischinsky, a researcher in the embassy’s Middle East Affairs department, was someone “any ambassador would love to have serving in his embassy.”

“He was young, energetic and very talented,” Herzog, who finished his tenure as ambassador in January, said. “He had intellectual curiosity and a lot of knowledge. He was very devoted to his diplomatic work. He was creative and he was really a benefit to the embassy.”

Lischinsky considered taking the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s cadets course, Herzog recalled, which he, along with other senior embassy staff encouraged him to do, believing he had the aptitude to be a successful diplomat.

“We could rely on him, especially during the war,” the former ambassador added.

Herzog said he told Lischinsky’s parents that “unfortunately, tragically, they cannot bring Yaron back, but they should be proud of what he did, what he achieved and the mark he left.”

The former ambassador also spoke about Milgrim, whose funeral is set to be held on Tuesday in Kansas City, near where her family lives. Milgrim’s work at the Israeli Embassy focused on environmental issues and outreach to progressive groups.
US homeland security chief heads to Israel for memorial for slain embassy staffers
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem arrived in Israel on Sunday to attend a memorial service for the victims of last week’s shooting attack on two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC.

Noem will participate in Monday morning’s ceremony alongside Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in honor of the murdered embassy employees, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, after which a tree will be planted in the young couple’s memory, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

Sa’ar and Noem will also meet privately and deliver joint statements with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, the ministry said.

Lischinsky and Milgrim were killed Wednesday night while leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, when a gunman approached the two and fired a handgun. The suspect shouted, “Free Palestine” as he was being arrested. He has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

The two victims were employees at the Israeli embassy in Washington.


Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib: After the DC shooting it’s clear: The pro-Palestine movement must be purged of violent extremism
Some of the most vicious attempts at delegitimization, incessant harassment, and credible threats to my life that I have experienced since Oct. 7 have not come from Palestinians who are upset with my views. Instead, they were from far-left, extremist online, social justice “activists.”

These are the people who have made it critical for me to always have security at events where I speak. They have made it difficult for pragmatic and moderate Palestinian and Arab voices to come forward and share new perspectives about the pathway forward. And they inspire individuals like the Capital Jewish Museum suspect.

For the sake of the Palestinian people’s just and urgent aspirations for freedom, independence, and dignity, the movement alleging to care about Palestinians must make decisions not to self-immolate at a time when the Palestinian people are in desperate need of true allies.

Impulsive sloganeering has consequences. Being good custodians of the Palestinian message is not only beneficial to the Palestinian people in Gaza and beyond; it is also critical to prevent the incitement of violent lunatics who engage in vigilantism that hurts the entirety of the Palestinian cause and those who care deeply about it.

The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were at an event of young and aspiring diplomats who cared about interfaith exchanges and engagement, and were open to pragmatic ideas about Gaza and beyond. This tragedy, like Oct. 7, will shrink the pool of those who reject extremist tendencies and will likely cause more to harden their minds and hearts to the prospect of peace in coexistence.

My work is to normalize multiple truths: We can hold space for the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and a rejection of Israeli unjust policies in the war, while also rejecting Hamas’ violent extremism that harms Palestinians and Israelis alike. I want to provide a new political home for Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims and their true allies who are not represented by the current toxic discourse being carried out on college campuses, in the streets, online and beyond.

If there is any hope for a new pathway forward, it must entail the wholesale rejection of maximalism, zero-sum equations and black and white thinking. The pro-Palestine movement must be purged of radical extremists, hateful antisemites, and promoters of armed resistance.


Secret Chinese links behind anti-Israel groups that fostered Elias Rodriguez’s hate
Monsters like Elias Rodriguez don’t suddenly emerge from under a rock. Their anti-American and anti-Israel hatreds are honed over time by a revolutionary ecosystem composed of different organisms. Years before he shot in cold blood a couple that worked at the Israeli Embassy in the prime of their lives, Rodriguez was taught to loathe the West.

Given the parlous state to which we have mindlessly allowed our universities to descend, Rodriguez may have imbibed some of this anti-Western dogma at the University of Illinois, Chicago, from which he graduated with an English degree in 2018.

But we know for sure that concurrently with his “education,” Rodriguez was associated with two leading institutions of the revolutionary ecosystem, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and one of its front groups, the ANSWER Coalition, an acronym for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism.

He attended several marches coordinated by both groups in 2018, and was identified as a member of the PSL. Now that Rodriguez has been caught committing a heinous crime, however, both groups are distancing themselves from him.

Black Lives Matter Chicago also admitted that Rodriguez was a supporter and took part in several marches. BLM Chicago was one of the groups that cruelly posted pictures of paragliders with Palestinian flags after the terrorist group Hamas massacred over 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, the New York Post reported at the time. Rodriguez shouted “Free Palestine,” moments before his arrest.

Since Rodriguez murdered Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgram at the Jewish Museum in Washington DC last Wednesday (finishing off Milgram as she crawled away on the floor), journalists have been forced to bring up ANSWER, though carelessly describing it as an “activist group,” or — even more shamefully by NewsNation — as a “group that fights against racism and war with organizing centers in cities and towns across the country.”

Even that marks a certain progress. Usually, journalists just report on demonstrations and riots without identifying the groups that organize them and bus in marchers. This gives the disturbances an undeserved air of spontaneity and the false impression of popular anger.

ANSWER, the PSL and others are actually communist groups that coordinate marches and the takeover of strategic chokepoints in urban areas, and are tied to foreign enemies such as China and Cuba. The same media that breathlessly brought you reports of the “Russian collusion” with the 2016 Trump campaign — which we now know to be false — rarely reports on this real danger.


IDF aims to capture 75% of Gaza Strip in 2 months in new offensive against Hamas
The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that it aims to occupy 75 percent of the Gaza Strip’s territory within two months as part of its new offensive against the Hamas terror group.

Israel on March 18 resumed its attacks against Hamas with a surprise wave of airstrikes, ending a two-month ceasefire. The IDF has since deployed five divisions to the Strip — amounting to tens of thousands of troops — and is poised to launch a wide-scale ground offensive aimed at defeating Hamas’s military wing and its civil rule in Gaza, should the terror group not agree to release the hostages it is holding.

When the major ground offensive is launched, the Palestinian population will be pushed into three small zones in Gaza: a new “safer zone” in the Mawasi area on the southern Strip’s coast, where Israel previously declared a “humanitarian zone”; a strip of land in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah and Nuseirat, where the IDF has not operated with ground forces; and the center of Gaza City, to which many Palestinians returned during the ceasefire earlier this year.

According to the IDF’s current estimates, some 700,000 Palestinians are residing in the Mawasi area, 300,000-350,000 are in central Gaza, and around one million are in Gaza City.

This means that Gaza’s 2 million population will be pushed into an area amounting to just 25% of the Strip when the IDF launches its expanded ground operation.

The IDF will then capture the rest of Gaza, clear it of Hamas infrastructure, raze most buildings, and hold it for the foreseeable future. This captured territory will include all of Rafah, Khan Younis, and the towns north of Gaza City.

According to the IDF’s plans, which were seen by The Times of Israel, it should take just two months to capture 75% of Gaza from the moment the operation goes ahead. Currently, the military holds about 40% of the Strip’s territory.

Military officials have said that the IDF is shifting its focus away from trying to eliminate as many terror operatives as possible — which had been the focus from the beginning of the war — and instead is centering on capturing territory and destroying Hamas’s infrastructure.

The terror group constructed in Gaza an estimated 900 kilometers (559 miles) of tunnels, yet so far, only 25% of them have been destroyed, according to the military. The IDF has argued that its main focus has been on Hamas’s attack tunnels and those used as command centers or for weapons manufacturing — the majority of which have been destroyed — rather than the numerous tunnels that the terror group uses to move around the Strip.


Organ donation by Tzeela Gez, murdered in West Bank shooting, brings hope amid tragedy
The family of Tzila Gez, a pregnant Israeli woman murdered on May 14, 2025, while traveling to give birth, chose to donate her organs.

Her corneas will be transplanted to restore sight to two individuals.

Hananel Gez, Tzila's husband, said: "Tzila always brought light into her life, and even after her passing, her generosity continues. We ensured she would give the gift of sight to two people, bringing light and vision."


'The captors put my life in danger for fun': Omer Wenkert reveals more about captivity
In a tiny room that could barely contain a mattress, freed hostage Omer Wenkert said he would try to pace away the hunger and dread during his days in captivity, speaking alongside his mother, Niva, at the Israel Bar Association annual conference in Eilat.

“I had a mirror only three times in captivity where I could actually see my face. The third time, I only saw my face and saw that I was really skinny. I kept telling Guy [Gilboa Dalal] and Eviatar [David], ‘I’m not that skinny.’ They said that my bones were visible,” he said. Gilboa-Dalal and David are still being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, along with 56 others, dead and alive. Thursday will mark 600 days since October 7, and 600 days in captivity for the surviving hostages.

When the IDF began operating in Rafah in May 2024, Wenkert said his condition severely worsened.

“We were intentionally starved. The captors put my life in danger for fun. One of them brought in a bottle of pest spray, made me stand in the corner of the hallway, and sprayed it across my face while forcing my eyes open. He made sure that everything I touched would be covered in the spray,” he said.

Wenkert said that when he got to the Re’im base after his release and saw his reflection, he was shocked.
How to Prosecute the Worst Crime in Israel's History? w/ Maurice Hirsch | Basic Law
Is Israel’s legal system prepared to deliver justice after the horrors of October 7, or is it paralyzed by outdated frameworks and political hesitation? On this episode of “Basic Law,” Aylana Meisel sits down with Col. (Res.) Adv. Maurice Hirsch, former senior IDF prosecutor and Director of Legal Strategies at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs, to unpack the urgent need for a new legal response to the October 7 massacre.

In this episode: Why existing Israeli law is insufficient to address the scale of Hamas’s crimesHow Israel traditionally prosecuted terrorism — and why that’s no longer enoughThe case for a national or international tribunal modeled on NurembergWhat justice looks like for the victims — and how to enshrine it in lawHow trials can fight denial, preserve memory, and secure national resilienceThey also explore how Israel can transform this legal challenge into a historic opportunity: to define moral clarity in an age of moral confusion, and to turn catastrophe into a foundation for future justice.If you want to understand what it truly means to seek justice after October 7 — and what it will take — this is a must-watch conversation.

Chapters
00:00 The Quest for Justice Post-October 7
10:56 Understanding Israel's Legal Framework for Terrorism
20:02 The Unique Challenges of October 7
30:29 Proposed Legal Framework for Prosecution
37:01 Debating the Death Penalty and Sentencing
41:01 Current State of Legal Proceedings


Rebuilding Israel's North After October 7th | The Quad Interviews
In this episode of The Quad, JNF-USA President Deb Lust joins Fleur Hassan-Nahoum to expose the real story of Israel’s recovery in the North: the heartbreak, the hope, and the hard work taking place far from the cameras.

With thousands displaced and Israel’s northern communities still under threat, JNF-USA is leading bold efforts to bring families home, create lasting security, and restore local economies—from launching culinary hubs to building infrastructure and employment pipelines. But this conversation isn’t just about bricks and mortar—it’s about Jewish identity, resilience, and the unbreakable spirit of a people who refuse to back down.

Key topics include:
The aftermath of October 7th and the silent crisis in the North
Why security and stability are essential for displaced families
JNF’s community-led rebuilding strategy
Cultivating Jewish identity in a time of rising antisemitism
How local leadership and innovation are driving Israel’s comeback

Chapters
00:00 The Impact of October 7th
02:47 Rebuilding the North: JNF's Mission
05:57 Creating Security and Hope
09:11 Community Resilience and Growth
11:59 The Culinary Institute: A New Beginning
14:51 The Future of the North
17:59 Jewish Identity and Community Strength




Washington shooting causes concern for Jewish Australians
Former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy says the reaction from the “anti-Israel far left” to the news of the assassination of two Israeli diplomats outside a Jewish museum in Washington, DC is “horrific”.

“It’s the result of a persistent campaign of dehumanisation against Israelis, against Jews,” Mr levy said.

“Anyone who thinks that this couldn’t happen in Australia too is completely delulu.

“The hatred of Israel is exporting political violence to Australia.

“These violent attacks are already happening.

“If the hatred against Israel isn’t stamped out, it could cause deaths.”


Unhinged lefties justify shooting of Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC
Sky News host James Morrow has reacted to “unhinged” lefties justifying the shooting of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC.


Israel Advocacy Movement: Jew Shocks Muslim With What Jews Really Think of Islam

travelingisrael.com: No one Cares about the Children of GAZA. Not even You.
Everyone talks about the children of Gaza. But does anyone really care?

In this video, I share an uncomfortable truth:
Gazan children are being used—not protected.
Used by Hamas as human shields.
Used by the media for propaganda.
Used by activists to attack Israel.

Meanwhile, the suffering of children in Yemen and Syria is ignored—because there's no way to blame Israel for it.

We’ll look at how the UN, Al Jazeera, and others manipulate images, numbers, and emotions to demonize Israel—while giving Hamas a free pass. We’ll also ask: where are the protests for women in Egypt, or the children of the Arab world killed by their own leaders?


Israel issues travel warning for Canada
Israel’s National Security Council has raised its travel advisory for Canada from Level 1 (“no warning”) to Level 2 (“potential threat”), citing an increased danger to Israelis and Jews living or traveling in the country.

The NSC noted a “growing threat from terrorist elements” in Canada, pointing to a series of recent attacks and threats targeting Jewish institutions and individuals. Over the past 18 months, there have been multiple incidents, including shootings, arson attacks, and direct threats against Jews and Israelis.

B’nai Brith Canada documented a historic high of antisemitic incidents in 2024, with 6,219 reported cases including firebombing of synagogues, attacks on schools and Jewish-owned businesses, and several arrests of suspects on terrorism-related charges. The tally represented a 7.4% increase from 2023 and a 124% increase from 2022.

In 2024, Canada “earned the dubious title of ‘champion of antisemitism’ with a more than 7.5-fold jump in antisemitic incidents in the past year,” Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said in a statement on May 5.

The National Security Council is advising Israeli citizens in Canada to exercise increased caution, avoid public displays of Jewish or Israeli identity, and remain highly alert in public spaces.

The advisory comes as anti-Israel organizations are expected to stage protests on May 25 in Toronto and Waterloo, Ontario, in response to pro-Israel events being held the same day. According to Israeli authorities, online discourse surrounding these demonstrations has become increasingly radicalized, with some calls interpreted as incitement to violent action against Jews and Israelis.
Toronto Police document accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing
The knock against the Toronto Police Service over the past 19 months is that they have engaged in two-tier policing. Specifically, when it comes to policing protests that are pro-Palestinian, in many cases outright pro-Hamas, that TPS takes a hands-off approach – that is when they aren’t delivering them coffee and donuts.

A leaked “event guide” detailing what police officers should expect at a “Nakba” protest this past weekend may show why TPS behaves the way it does.

“Nakba Day, also known as the Palestinian catastrophe, commemorates the ethnic cleansing of Palestine starting on May 15th, 1948. The date marks the destruction of Palestinian land and mass displacement of the Palestinian population,” the event guide states as fact.

These are not statements attributed to the organizers of the event police are being directed to attend, they are just put forward as unquestioned facts. The document went on to talk about how many people were killed and displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli war – at least how many Palestinians – and how many villages were destroyed.

“The Nakba is a central aspect for Palestinian national identity, marking the mass displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israel war,” the event guide reads.

This is all within the first paragraph of the main body of the guide on how officers should police the event.

There is no mention that 1 million Jews have been forced out of Arab countries, and Iran, since this same 1948 war. There is no mention that the war was started because Arabs in the region, including what we now call Palestinians, said they would not accept a Jewish state in any form and launched a war to eradicate Israel.

That war is still going on and being cheered by those who walk the streets of Toronto chanting about globalizing the intifada and from the river to the sea.


Lefty influencer with millions of followers kicked off streaming platform after sick comments about Jewish museum shooting
Left-wing darling Hasan Piker has been booted from the streaming platform Twitch after he suggested that the killing of two Israeli Embassy diplomats in Washington, DC looked like it could be a “false flag” operation.

Piker, 33, claimed his account, which has more than 2.8 million followers, was suspended because of his “critical examination” of the manifesto of suspected terrorist Elias Rodriguez, who was charged with executing embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night.

He said the attack had all the hallmarks of a “false flag operation,” a term used for an action that is staged to look as if it was carried out by a different group to pin the blame on them.

Sick conspiracy theorists have claimed that the shooting at the Jewish museum was staged to discredit the pro-Palestinian movement, although Piker said he did not explicitly believe Wednesday’s shooting was one.

“I’m not ‘Mr. False Flag’ at all, but, like, every single thing that [Rodriguez] did in the aftermath of the shooting is so f–king crazy that it’s like, you could not have designed a f–king incident like this. You could not have decided a better false flag incident like this,” he said in the live stream, which was also shared to his 1.6 million YouTube followers on Friday.

“I’m not saying it is a false flag incident at all, I’m not saying that, I think this is just one dude who is genuine in his actions and maybe a little bit brain broken,” he added.


Stephen Pollard: Jews can no longer trust the police
I’m 60. I was brought up to believe that one of the many privileges of being born in Britain is that we do not live in fear of the police. They serve us. They protect us.

As a Jew, that feeling was even more pronounced. Jews have been persecuted by the state throughout history. But as a freeborn Englishman, the opposite was true: the police would protect me.

When it comes to terror plots and active, direct threats, the police can be magnificent. I benefitted from this myself some years ago when I was found to be on an Islamist hit list. For obvious reasons I won’t go into details, but the police were wonderful. Flawless and brilliant.

But something has nonetheless gone very wrong with modern policing. There is a deep malaise in the mindset of decision makers which leads to grotesque caricatures of what policing should be.

Instead of focusing on crimes that actually matter to people, they trawl social media looking for “offence”. And instead of targeting those who support terror, they go after those who expose that support.

Yesterday The Telegraph revealed that a Jewish counter-protester to one of the regular “Free Palestine” marches was arrested and charged after he was seen holding a placard satirising Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader who was targeted by the Israeli exploding pager operation. Nasrallah survived but was killed in an air strike a week later.

In his police questioning, the Jewish counter-protester was repeatedly asked if he agreed that the image would offend “clearly pro-Hezbollah and anti-Israel” activists. I wish it was shocking that the police consider offending activists who support a proscribed terrorist group to be cause for them to charge someone. But there is now a clear pattern, with policing targeting those who oppose terror and anti-Semitism, and protecting those who support it.


Harvard Chabad slams yearbook for Oct. 7 omission
Harvard Chabad condemned the university’s student yearbook for omitting the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war against the terrorist group in Gaza.

In a post on X published on Sunday, the Jewish organization shared a photo of the yearbook’s page, which included only the caption: “October [7] 2023: War Breaks Out in Gaza.” The post criticized the omission as “fake history,” stating, “The genocidal attack on the Jewish people took place, leading to the greatest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.”

The post suggested that “tomorrow’s historians and editors” might just as absurdly write “War Breaks Out in Afghanistan” for Sept. 11, 2001, or “War Breaks Out in Japan” for Dec. 7, 1941.

Meanwhile, a federal judge on Friday granted Harvard a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from revoking the school’s student visas. The administration alleged that Harvard fostered an unsafe, antisemitic environment, and demanded data on foreign students, prompting the university to file suit, claiming constitutional violations.


After controversy, Yair Golan says Israel ‘certainly does not’ kill Gaza babies ‘as a hobby’
Democrats party chairman Yair Golan on Saturday further walked back comments in which he appeared to accuse Israel of killing babies in Gaza “as a hobby,” saying he did not, in fact, believe Israel had done so, but rather was expressing his fear that extremist politicians in the government sought to.

During a Channel 12 interview, Golan, a former deputy IDF chief, was asked whether he believed Israel has killed any babies in Gaza for sport, and replied, “Certainly not.”

“I wasn’t speaking about the military at all. I didn’t say that,” Golan said.

In the Tuesday interview that caused a political firestorm, the retired general told Kan that “Israel is on the way to becoming a pariah state, like South Africa was, if we don’t return to acting like a sane country. A sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set itself the aim of expelling populations.”

Golan stressed later that same day that he had not been criticizing the army but rather the government, but his statement on Saturday was his most forceful yet.

During his Channel 12 interview, Golan held up a paper with quotes by far-right ministers and politicians who had called at various points to “destroy” and “erase” Gaza.

“I said something simple: that it’s unacceptable that we’re resuming fighting in Gaza, and that the political goals set for the IDF, which unfortunately are not goals connected to Israel’s national security at all… are shaped by people with such a worldview.”

He added: “I don’t recall these people ever being asked to apologize for anything. Is this the Israel we want? I genuinely ask myself that.”

Golan was asked about comments he himself made in October 2023, days after the October 7 attack, when he suggested that all aid to Gaza must be cut off. “We need to tell them, listen, until these [hostages] are released, as far as we care you can starve to death — it’s completely legitimate,” Golan said then.
Arab Israeli filmmaker wins prize at Cannes: ‘This is for Palestine and for peace’
The film “I’m Glad You’re Dead Now” by Arab Israeli director, screenwriter, and actor Tawfeek Barhom won the Palme d’Or award in the short film category at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday.

Barhom’s film, which he wrote, directed and starred in, tells the story of two brothers who return to their childhood island where buried secrets and long-simmering tensions force them to confront their dark past. The film also features Arab-Israeli actor Ashraf Barhom.

At a press conference after receiving the award, Barhom said: “This is for Palestine and for peace.”

“The liberation of people shouldn’t antagonize anyone else. There is a big difference between liberation and peace,” he added.

The film is described as a joint Palestinian, Greek and French production.

Originally from the village of Ein Rafa near Jerusalem, Barhom is known to audiences for his lead role in Eran Riklis’s film “A Borrowed Identity,” for which he was nominated for an Ophir Award for Best Actor in 2014.

Since then, he has appeared in several international productions including Hany Abu-Assad’s “The Idol,” Garth Davis’ “Mary Magdalene,” and Tarik Saleh’s “Boy from Heaven.”
Report: Hamas Facing Financial Crisis
Hamas is facing a financial crisis, with government employees in Gaza receiving just 900 shekels ($250) a month for the past four months, according to a report in Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday.

Sources within Hamas said the Qassam Brigades have not paid fighters for three months and are facing acute shortages of military supplies.

Families of deceased and wounded Hamas members are also no longer receiving consistent support.

While Hamas's military command structure continues to function, Hamas is having difficulty recruiting fighters without payment.


Hamas terrorists appear to fire on civilians looting aid trucks
Hamas terrorists opened fire on Gaza civilians attempting to collect humanitarian aid making its way to the southern part of the coastal enclave, according to footage published on social media on Sunday.

The looters were filmed fleeing with bags of flour on their backs against the sound of gunshots, as the Hamas operatives tried to seize control of the trucks, Israel’s Channel 12 News broadcaster reported.

The launch of a new U.S.-supported aid distribution network, intended to bypass Hamas and alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, has been delayed amid ongoing looting, logistical setbacks and other last-minute complications, officials in Jerusalem said on Saturday.

Israel had hoped the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new American-run operation with Israeli support, would begin distributing aid supplies directly to Palestinians as early as Saturday. However, the opening of the group’s distribution centers has been pushed off to Monday or Tuesday.

A senior Israeli security source familiar with the details told Channel 12 News on Sunday that “it is possible that among those who arrive [to the aid depots], there will also be Hamas members.” He added, “The main thing is that Hamas does not take control of the aid and doesn’t sell it.”

According to data gathered by Israel Defense Forces Southern Command and revealed by Army Radio on May 18, every aid truck that enters the Strip and is taken over by Hamas pays for the monthly salaries of an entire terror brigade.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told journalists during a press conference last week that Hamas “shoots Palestinian civilians who want to leave for safe zones, and it shoots Palestinian civilians who want to prevent Hamas terrorists from looting the aid trucks intended for them.”

“Since Oct. 7, Israel has sent 92,000 aid trucks into Gaza,” stated the Israeli leader, adding: “As we had let the aid come in, Hamas stole it. They took a huge chunk for themselves. The rest they sold at exorbitant prices to the Palestinian population. And then they used the money they stole to recruit new terrorists to continue their war against Israel.”


Seth Frantzman: US Syria envoy Barrack meets Syrian president to discuss path for 'peace and prosperity'
Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, who is also the new special envoy for Syria, met with Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa on May 24.

“Today, I met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani in Istanbul to implement President Trump’s bold decision to provide a path for peace and prosperity in Syria,” Barrack wrote on social media.

Sharaa met US President Donald Trump earlier in May in Riyadh. Since then, the US has moved to lift sanctions, a move welcomed by the Syrian president. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has waived an important sanctions act for 180 days. Barrack said that he “reiterated the United States’ support for the Syrian people after so many years of conflict and violence and Secretary Rubio’s position that if we had not acted so promptly and deliberately to remove sanctions our partners in the region would not be able to provide donor dollars, supplies, and energy to relieve the plight and trauma of the traumatized Syrian population.”

The US envoy noted that “President Trump’s goal is to enable the new government to create the conditions for the Syrian people to not only survive but thrive.”

The US ambassador also noted that Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had hosted a meeting between the US and Syria and that the message of the meeting is that “Syria is now open for business.” This comes as Turkey moves to also quickly invest in Syria. Reports also indicate Turkey may want to expand defense ties with Damascus.

Ambassador Barrack also stressed that “the cessation of sanctions against Syria will preserve the integrity of our primary objective – the enduring defeat of ISIS – and will give the people of Syria a chance for a better future.”


Iranian dissident film-maker wins Palme d’Or at Cannes
The Palme d’Or, the top award at the Cannes Film Festival, has been won by It Was Just an Accident, an Iranian film that takes aim at the country’s totalitarian government.

Directed by Jafar Panahi, the film is about a group of former political prisoners, who abduct a man they believe was the guard who tortured them.

Receiving his award from actress Cate Blanchett, Panahi, who has twice been incarcerated for defying the government, said in his acceptance speech that it was time for Iranians to “set aside our differences. The important thing now is the freedom of our country, so that no one would dare to tell us what to wear or what film to make”.

While the film uses humour – there is a scene when a pair of security guards ask the protagonists to pay a bribe using an electronic card reader – it is, according to a report in the Times, “ultimately a protest against Iran’s government and an acknowledgement of the traumatising effects of its cruelty”.

While Panahi was in jail, he spent time in solitary confinement and went on a hunger strike.

Over a career which spans over 30 years, Panahi has made several films covertly. In his 2015 film, Taxi Tehran, he disguised himself as a taxi driver and invited people to sit in the back of his cab and chat to him about whatever they wanted, and he smuggled his 2011 documentary This is Not a Film out of the country on a flash drive hidden in a cake.

The making of It Was Just an Accident was almost jeopardised when plain-clothes police arrived on the set demanded Panahi to stop shooting and hand over his footage. According to the Times report, he refused. He said he believed he escaped punishment as filming took place during a presidential election, and the authorities wanted to avoid negative publicity.

Panahi’s win comes less than a week after more than 200 MPs united across parties to demand that the UK government proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – the armed wing of the Khameini regime.


Israelis to mark 58 years since liberation of eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria
Preparations were underway in Israel on Sunday as the Jewish state was set to celebrate Jerusalem Day, marking 58 years since the June 1967 reunification of the holy city and liberation of Judea and Samaria.

The festivities were set to kick off at sundown with a public prayer service and the unfurling of a giant Israeli flag at the Western Wall Plaza in the Old City, attended by religious and public officials.

Jerusalem Day celebrations are scheduled to continue throughout the day on Monday with a festive morning prayer at the Western Wall and a special broadcast for elementary-school students, followed by the iconic Flag March with tens of thousands of participants expected to join.

Despite the ongoing war with Hamas, the parade received approval to march its usual route from the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, continuing into the Old City via Damascus Gate and ending at the Western Wall. Thousands of police officers will be deployed in the nation’s capital.

Also during the day on Monday, two state memorial ceremonies are set to be held at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl: one at 11 a.m. for Ethiopian Jews who perished on their way to Israel, and one at 2 p.m. for the fallen of the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1967-70 War of Attrition.

Jerusalem Day, celebrated on 28th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, marks the city’s reunification, an event of profound historical and religious significance for the Jewish people, bringing the city under sole Jewish rule after almost 2,000 years of foreign occupation.




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Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



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

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