Friday, June 20, 2025

06/20 Links Pt2: The Lawless Left and Its Liberal Camp Followers; Ohio Doctor Charged After Allegedly Threatening To Kill Jewish Congressman; Dave Smith humiliates himself, again

From Ian:

Matthew Continetti: The Lawless Left and Its Liberal Camp Followers
Then came October 7. Within hours of the attack on Israel, pro-Hamas protests spread on college campuses. Liberal administrators did nothing. They barely lifted a finger to protect Jewish students and guarantee that every student could study without harassment from keffiyeh-wearing thugs. University presidents found themselves unable to condemn calls for genocide. They lost their jobs—justly.

The Biden administration denounced anti-Semitism and pledged support for Israel. But, as the war continued, Israel became a liability within the Democratic Party. Hamas sympathizers grew in number and intensity. Biden slow-walked military aid and pressured Israel to make a deal with Hamas. Harris refused to appear with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When hecklers accused her of supporting genocide, she could only respond, “If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”

She spoke. And Trump won. The Democrats’ inability to confront and contain anti-Semitism on America’s campuses and city streets was a preview of things to come during Trump’s second term. The cause may change—Gaza one day, ICE the next. The spineless liberal response to radicalism does not.

Republicans fell into a similar trap in the years after the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump supporters who soft-pedal the events of that day run the same risk as liberals who succumb to tribalism and dogma. At the same time, January 6 also exposed the hollowness of the liberal position: They found a riot they wouldn’t call “mostly peaceful” and brought down the heavy hand of government on everyone involved.

The pattern holds. On June 12, Mayor Bass imposed a curfew on downtown Los Angeles. The protests diminished. Yet she still held Trump responsible for the mess, not the actual criminals. “Every time you do something like this,” she said, referring to Trump’s bringing in the National Guard, “you provoke the population.”

Madame Mayor needs a refresher course in cause and effect. Democrats who wink at violent protest don’t just risk their electoral future. They guarantee more chaos.
The War Against the War Against the Jews
But there is a problem beyond objections to the method, means, and motivation of Trump officials in fighting anti-Semitism. Any sustained response—even one less assertive than Trump’s—to anti-Semitism in America must be grounded in law. And while some of the administration’s actions will likely be sustained in court rulings, particularly those regarding the almost unassailable executive authority over immigration, others will go by the wayside instantaneously when another party takes the White House, and perhaps before. It is for this reason that Congress is so critical.

Unfortunately, on this question, as on so many others, Congress has embraced rhetoric over action.

In 2023–24 as the anti-Semitic conflagration swept through academia, many on Capitol Hill recognized the characteristic role of TikTok in fanning the flames. The Chinese social media company played a critical role in popularizing anti-Semitic tropes and in organizing anti-Semitic gatherings. And Congress did act, if admittedly for reasons going well beyond TikTok’s promotion of anti-Semitism. It required the president to shut down or force the sale of TikTok. Donald Trump has done neither, choosing not to enforce the letter of the law. Congress has done nothing, effectively undercutting its own legislative power. One can at least take some solace in the fact that this law was passed; not so, most others.

Like the Antisemitism Awareness Act, there have been several important pieces of legislation introduced relating to foreign donations to universities, including additional restrictions for so-called countries of concern; support for terrorism by nonprofits and organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP); additional reporting requirements for student-visa holders engaging in anti-Semitic or pro-terror activities; and more.

One bill, the DETERRENT Act, introduced by Representative Michael Baumgartner (R-WA-5) and a bipartisan group of co-sponsors, would lower the financial threshold for universities on reporting foreign gifts and contracts, particularly from countries of concern. It would also require colleges and universities to disclose detailed information about all substantial foreign donations and partnerships. Institutions that fail to comply with new transparency standards would face the risk of losing access to federal student-aid programs. The act also directs the Department of Education to create a publicly accessible database of reported foreign gifts, and it authorizes new penalties for noncompliance. It has gone nowhere in the Senate.

The second bill passed the House in 2024: Introduced by Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY), the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act legislated tax relief for hostages and, more important, established a process by which the secretary of the Treasury could designate a nonprofit as a “terrorist supporting organization” if, within the previous three years, it has provided material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. That provision in the Tenney bill made it largely intact into this year’s HR 1, the “Big Beautiful Bill Act,” before it was quietly stripped out in committee.

Other bills relating to punishing compliance with BDS, requiring greater transparency regarding foreign donations to both NGOs and universities, requiring public disclosure of donors to nonprofits receiving federal funding, and demanding disclosure of university rules regarding anti-Semitism have been introduced, only to wither on the committee vine.

Congress’s failure to enact laws to address the proliferation of anti-Semitic activities in the United States, on and off campus, means that, just as was the case during the Trump-Biden transition in 2021, any future cross-party transitions will see a slew of reversals of executive branch executive orders, as well as rules and regulations promulgated while Donald Trump was in office. And the policies enacted therein will simply cease to exist.

Nonetheless, Congress has not been entirely supine. Investigations into organizations such as American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and its subsidiary groups continue in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Even more encouraging, the State of Virginia, where AMP is headquartered, is digging aggressively into AMP’s and Students for Justice in Palestine’s possible ties to terrorism. That probe began with a formal request for documents and information from AMP in late 2023, citing potential violations of state charity laws and links to the national SJP movement. AMP challenged the request in court, but, in mid-2024, a Richmond court rejected its arguments and ordered AMP to comply with the state’s inquiry. After further legal back-and-forth, the court reaffirmed in May 2025 that AMP must turn over the requested materials. The investigation is still underway.

So, yes, there is movement forward, but it is halting and confusing, and the enemies of Israel are still working relentlessly. The voices of Jew-hatred still screech. And the physical danger in which Jews on American soil find themselves is growing. This all contributes to a dispiriting feeling of failure for advocates of stronger measures to fight Jew-hatred. And there have been failures. But we cannot sink into despair, because that would lead to inaction. We must be as relentless as our foes. Congress must be pressured to cement into law the necessary safeguards ensuring that U.S. tax law, schools, and media do not become instruments of an increasingly anti-Semitic agenda. The critical initial steps require awareness and transparency, and fortunately, we now have much more of that than was the case just two years ago.

Before October 7, the malign agenda of foreign agitators and anti-Semites at home was largely obscured from view. Jews believed that the era of overt Jew-hatred was in the past. There is no one who believes that today. We know what the problem is, we know what needs to be done, and, while it will take time to institutionalize the kinds of protections imperative to keeping Jews safe in America, it will happen if we have perseverance and courage. We have seen anti-Semitism weaponized to murder and harass Jews around the world and at home. The time has come to turn the tables, and to weaponize anti-Semitism against its perpetrators and sponsors.
I Taught My Students the ‘Iliad.’ Then They Went to War.
My student was well trained for combat but was never trained to recognize what war might do to his soul. He had learned the high moral values of the IDF—such as “the purity of arms,” meaning that soldiers should use their weapons and force only to the necessary extent and must maintain their humanity even during combat. But he learned nothing about the shocking violence required in combat situations. The Iliad gave him a deeper understanding of what human beings are capable of. The Illiad’s ending, with Achilles and Priam mourning together, gave him an opening for hope. Even from these depths, one can return to humanity.

Reading Homer After October 7
We spent eight classes on the Iliad, and when we had completed it, I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought the difficult part was behind us. The Odyssey, which came next, had generally been less traumatic for the students: It deals with a man returning home to his wife and son. A simple story, right? His trip home from the Trojan War takes 10 years, and the first half of the book primarily deals with Odysseus’s adventures during his journey. But then Odysseus arrives at his island, Ithaca, and the pace of events slows down substantially. The rest of the book is dedicated to describing the week that begins with his arrival on the island’s shores and ends with his full recognition as its king. In these pages, Homer devotes considerable space to describing his meetings with his wife, Penelope, who waited for him for 20 years.

When Odysseus enters his home, he is disguised as a beggar. His wife is surrounded by dozens of violent young men who seek to conquer her heart and inherit their home. In the evening, after the suitors have left, Penelope and Odysseus speak intimately. She tells him openly about her pain in having her husband away for two decades, but he continues to pretend he is someone else. At this point in my class, the students are angry with him: “Why doesn’t he tell her the truth? How can he deceive her after everything she has suffered for him?” But one student who served in the war and was married understood Odysseus’s actions. “Even when I return home from Gaza and my wife asks me how it was, I lie,” he said. “I can’t tell her what I really went through and I’m not sure she’s capable of hearing it.”

The second time Odysseus and Penelope meet, he has revealed his identity and eliminated all the suitors. Penelope comes out to meet him joyfully, but upon seeing him she isn’t sure whether to approach him. Their son, Telemachus, cannot bear the standoff and scolds her. In the past, my students would always agree with Telemachus: “Why is she hardening her heart now?” This year they sided with Penelope. One of the students shared: “When my husband went on leave from Gaza for the first time, he sent me a text message and my heart burst with joy. He sent another text when he got off the bus and I suddenly felt distrust. When he stood at the doorway I froze. Is this the man I said goodbye to two months ago?”

Another student, who got married during the war, suggested that Penelope is consciously examining the returned Odysseus. In her own way, she too has been fighting for the past 20 years: initially raising a child alone and in recent years preserving the home and maintaining her independence against the pressure of suitors. Penelope wonders if the man who has now returned is worthy of her efforts?

Reading Homer After October 7
“This thought occupied me during the war,” said my student. “I tried to act in a way that would justify my return, the worry and anxieties my wife experiences while waiting at home. I tried to see where, within my framework as a warrior on the battlefield, I could care for the person I would be the day after the war.”

At the course’s concluding session, one of the students said: “I always thought the Iliad was the difficult story. Only when I returned home from the war did I understand that The Odyssey is the real challenge. War is just preparation for the return.”

Coleman Ruiz, a former Tier One U.S. Navy SEAL joint task force commander, recounts that the tool that helped him cope with the process of returning to civilian life comes from Joseph Campbell’s formula for all great stories: the “hero’s journey.” The journey has three stages, each challenging in its own right: departure, initiation, and return. The journey begins with a crisis in society that causes the hero to embark on the path of trials. After successfully completing his initiation, he is called to return to society with the wisdom he has gained in order to contribute to its healing and growth. For many years I taught these ideas in my fantasy literature course, but I never thought about them in the context of warriors who left their homes to defend their country. The thought of our returning warriors as the third part of the hero’s journey significantly changed my perspective: The returnees need our help, but we need them no less.

Jonathan Shay, an American psychiatrist who treated Vietnam War veterans, argues that there are certain aspects of war’s impact on fighters’ psyches that Homer identifies better than today’s mental health professionals. I am not an expert on war or mental therapy, but teaching the Iliad and The Odyssey during the war made clear to me the unique ability of this ancient literature to give expression and framework, meaning and significance, to the experience of war and the return from it.

Reading Homer After October 7Reading Homer After October 7
I always took pride in learning from my students, but honestly, how much could young people in their twenties really teach me about a book I’d read more than a dozen times? The war reversed the roles: Now they were truly teachers and I was the student.

In the past two years I learned things about the Iliad and The Odyssey that before the war I never understood. My students taught me so much more: They taught me about fear and love, courage and sacrifice, about personal coping and about the ability to act together despite disagreements. The journey of return is not only for the soldiers and their families but for all of Israeli society: We sent this generation into battle and we must ensure their return. Moreover, we have much to learn from them. The ancient stories provide a language that can help us all complete the journey.


Argentina’s Milei Brands Iran an ‘Enemy,’ Reaffirms Unwavering Support for Israel Amid Escalating Conflict
Argentine President Javier Milei has branded Iran “an enemy” of his country, reaffirming Argentina’s support for Israel amid its ongoing conflict with the Islamist regime in Tehran.

On Thursday, Milei — who has broken with decades of Argentine foreign policy to firmly align with Israel and the United States — condemned Iran’s attacks on the Jewish state.

“Iran is an enemy of Argentina,” the South American leader said during a new interview on the La Nación+ news channel.

According to local media, Milei spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to express his “support and solidarity” as the war continues to escalate.

In a statement issued last week, the Argentine leader denounced “the vile attack perpetrated by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the State of Israel, through the mass launch of missiles and drones directed at civilian populations.”

He also said that Israel is “saving Western civilization” and accused Iran of trying to destroy the country.

During his interview on Thursday, Milei held Tehran responsible for two terrorist attacks in Buenos Aires: the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy and the 1994 attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish community center.

The latter was the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina’s history, in which 85 people were killed and more than 300 wounded.

Earlier this year, the lead prosecutor in the 1994 AMIA bombing case petitioned Argentina’s federal court to issue national and international arrest warrants for Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, over his alleged involvement in the deadly terrorist attack. Milei has also activated Interpol red notices in connection with the case.

In the same interview, Milei suggested that former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner — currently under house arrest on corruption charges — may have committed treason by signing the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iranian authorities, which was presented as a cooperation agreement to investigate the AMIA bombing.

“Cristina is going to have to give explanations to the courts about the memorandum with Iran. I don’t know if it constitutes treason, but they planted two bombs in Argentina. That’s key,” the Argentine leader said.


2,000-year-old ‘Freedom of Zion’ coin unearthed in Jerusalem stuns Milei
Argentina President Javier Milei received a 2,000-year-old coin from the Second Temple period, dated to 67 CE during the Jewish Great Revolt, during a festive ceremony at the City of David National Park in Jerusalem on Thursday.

The rare coin, bearing the ancient Hebrew inscription “For the Freedom of Zion,” was presented to Milei as a symbolic gift recognizing his commitment to Israel and the Jewish people.

At the event, the Government of Argentina presented the City of David with a commemorative plaque highlighting the deep connection between the Argentine nation, the people of Israel, and Jerusalem. Argentina is now the second country to place such a plaque at the site, following a similar dedication by the United States in 2020.

During the ceremony, President Milei declared, “The continued uncovering of history here and the future development of this city are of the utmost international importance.”

He added: “The values upon which the Republic is founded — justice and liberty — were born here thousands of years ago. Today, we have the privilege of walking in the light of those same values... The roots of Judaism and Christianity, followed today by billions of people around the world, originate right here — from Jerusalem. This place is essentially the foundation of the entire world.”
US victims can sue Palestinian terrorists, Supreme Court rules unanimously
Americans who are victims of Palestinian terror can sue for damages in U.S. courts, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Friday, upholding the constitutionality of the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act of 2019.

The 2019 law expands the 1992 Anti-Terrorism Act, which allows Americans harmed by overseas terror attacks to sue foreign entities, including the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, for damages.

“It is permissible for the federal government to craft a narrow jurisdictional provision that ensures, as part of a broader foreign policy agenda, that Americans injured or killed by acts of terror have an adequate forum in which to vindicate their right to Anti-Terrorism Act compensation,” wrote John Roberts, the high court chief justice.

Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, told JNS that “this is an important milestone in bringing justice to victims of terror, and holding terrorists to account wherever they are.”

Ahmad Sharawi, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS that the decision represents a “major legal milestone for American victims of terrorism.”

“The PLO and PA are no longer shielded from accountability for incentivizing the killing of Israel through their ‘pay-for-slay’ policy,” he said. “The Supreme Court’s ruling challenged the previous court ruling that justified that U.S. courts cannot hold foreign entities if they haven’t consented to U.S. jurisdiction.”

Citing the Fifth amendment, the Palestinian Authority had long argued that it was immune from prosecution, according to Sharawi.

“This case sets the precedent that U.S. jurisdiction can now entail terrorist groups that harm American citizens despite their lack of consent to U.S. jurisdiction,” he said.
Israel slams UN rights council for giving floor to Iran ahead of nuclear talks
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva has raised "vehement objection" to Iran addressing the Human Rights Council ahead of talks with European counterparts in Geneva to try to de-escalate the conflict, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

"Affording the Iranian foreign minister the floor before this body continues to undermine the council's credibility and constitutes a blatant betrayal of the many victims of this regime worldwide," Daniel Meron said in a letter addressed to council president Jurg Lauber.

The council said on Friday that Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was due to be given the floor. Shortly afterwards, he is due to hold talks with the EU foreign policy chief and his counterparts in Britain, France and Germany in order to de-escalate the conflict.

In the letter, Meron accuses Iran of using the council as an international stage to "promote the regime's despotic campaign."

Israel waging 'war against humanity,' Iranian ambassador previously said
On Wednesday, the Iranian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva addressed the council and accused Israeli attacks of representing an act of "war against humanity".

Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful.


Former UK commander praises GHF’s aid efforts in rare inaugural visit to site - interview
Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan during part of a period of time when the US, UK, and their allies were trying to engage in nation-building in that country, has seen a lot.

Despite being well-traveled, having been brought in for a rare visit to Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) site No. 3 at El-Bureij in central Gaza on Wednesday, Kemp told The Jerusalem Post about his observations from the trip, declaring, “I have never seen anything like this. It is brilliantly conceived and extremely well executed. They are feeding the people of Gaza until such time as it becomes unnecessary.”

Describing the process of food distribution that he witnessed, he said, “When I arrived there, they hadn’t started issuing aid, but there were already 20 truckloads of aid loaded into the site.”

Next, he said, “The citizens were allowed in and collected their aid. Most of the interactions between the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and people getting aid is through local employees, Palestinians working for the GHF.

“There is pretty limited interaction between the mainly American staff” and the Palestinian civilians, as the Americans are focused mainly on “security and the [background] logistics of running the place,” he stated.

Moreover, he noted that “the benefit” of having mostly Palestinian employees handling the Palestinian civilians directly is that “they speak the same language.”

He said he was told an estimated 20,000 Palestinians arrived during the two-hour period. During that time, there was “absolutely no tension at all” between the GHF and the Palestinians.

This did not mean that the process of collecting food aid was calm and orderly between the Palestinians themselves.He acknowledged that, “there was a bit of a scramble for the aid. This is inevitable.”

But he said the GHF staff stood back and let this play out without intervening, explaining, “The last thing the GHF wants to do is cause tension between their staff and the aid recipients by trying to overly control the situation.
MEMRI: Palestinian Authority Daily: Hamas Is Murdering Civilians Who Come To The Gaza Aid Distribution Centers
In its June 19, 2025 editorial, the Palestinian Authority Al-Hayat Al-Jadida daily accused Hamas of murdering Gaza residents trying to get to the American food aid distribution centers established in the Gaza strip. According to the article, "death squads" from Hamas's Al-Sahm unit[1] hunt down Gazans coming to the distribution centers, shoot at them and kill them on the pretext that they are collaborating with the distribution centers and with Israel.

The article added that Hamas does not hesitate to target Gaza residents in order to maintain its monopoly on the distribution of food and thus its control, and that Hamas steals the food aid and sells it on the black market.

To prove its argument, the article presented social media posts by Gazans accusing Hamas of murdering their loved ones when they tried to reach the distribution centers. One post was by Hiba Al-Mishal, who said that her brother Osama was murdered by a Hamas squad while he was en route to the distribution center. She wrote on her Facebook account that a squad from Hamas's Al-Sahm unit had stopped a bus her brother and some other young men were traveling on, took them outside, and shot them several times, and that they were subsequently denied medical treatment and died. She also wrote that Hamas had forced other civilians to beat them.[2]

The following are translated excerpts from the Al-Hayat Al-Jadida editorial that was published June 19, 2025. [3]
"Alongside the reports that exposed Israeli occupation forces' massacres of displaced persons looking for food, and [their] shooting at them, numerous reports out of Gaza say that Hamas is killing many civilians looking for a sack of flour on the pretext that they are collaborating with the American food distribution centers!! This is being revealed not only in reports but also in messages and [social media] posts by families whose relatives have been targeted by the treacherous Hamas.

"Examples of this include: an announcement by the Shahin family from Deir Al-Balah about [Hamas'] treacherous bullets that took the life of their son Siraj Al-Din Hisham Salameh Shahin[4]; a statement by the Al-Hilou family about five of its members being killed; and a post by Hiba Al-Mishal, the sister of the murdered Osama Al-Mishal, in which she revealed that a group of Hamas members called the Al-Sahm Unit (!!!) had obstructed a bus in which her brother and several young men were traveling to one of the food distribution centers. [The Hamas members] took them off [the bus] and shot them, after 'falsely and oppressively accusing them of collaboration.' [Then, Hamas members] followed the wounded [young men] to the entrance of Nasser Hospital, where they shot them again, 'prevented the doctors and nurses from treating them, and even urged people to beat them with sticks and iron pipes. [All] this happened amid the painful silence and the worrying cooperation [of those present].' This caused the deaths of her brother and the others who were on the bus with him.

"In the post, Hiba demanded 'justice for my brother and every innocent young man killed in an oppressive manner,' writing: 'We do not want revenge – just truth and justice, because honor does not die and blood is not erased with excuses or washed away by silence.' She declared: 'All those who participated, remained silent or justified this crime are responsible before Allah, history and the mothers, sisters, daughters and wives of the slain and their families.'"


IDF kills Hezbollah commander near Tyre
The Israel Defense Forces on Friday killed the commander of Hezbollah’s firepower array in the Litani sector, in the Chabriha area north of Tyre in southwestern Lebanon, the military said.

During the war with the Iranian-backed group, terrorist Mohammad Khadr al-Husseini “advanced numerous attacks toward Nahariya, Haifa and additional cities within Israeli territory,” the IDF said.

Al-Husseini was recently involved in efforts to rebuild Hezbollah’s artillery forces, the army added.

“His actions constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel,” the Israeli military said.

Earlier on Friday, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah against joining Iran’s aerial war against the Jewish state.

“The Hezbollah Secretary-General [Naim Qassem] has not learned the lessons of his predecessors and is threatening to act against Israel at the direction of the Iranian dictator,” Katz tweeted, referring to past chiefs of the terrorist organization who were slain by the Israeli Air Force in September and October 2024.

“I advise the Lebanese proxy to be cautious and understand that Israel has lost patience with terrorists who threaten it. If there is terrorism—there will be no Hezbollah,” the minister wrote.

Qassem declared on Thursday his group’s support for Iran, in the wake of the severe blows it was dealt by Israel’s military over the past week, saying Hezbollah “will act as we see fit in confronting this brutal Israeli-American aggression.”

Overnight on Wednesday, the IDF killed two Hezbollah terrorist commanders in Southern Lebanon, including Mohammad Ahmad Khreiss, commander of the anti-tank unit at the Iranian proxy’s Chebaa outpost in the Nabatieh area.


The Ricochet Podcast: The “Find Out” Phase of Diplomacy
The Iranian regime is receiving an education of sorts this week, and while we await President Trump’s decision on the extent of America’s role in busting up the nuclear site at Fordow, the Free Press’s Eli Lake (and host of the Breaking History podcast) returns to educate us on why surgical involvement in Iran fits with the “America First” agenda that voters signed up for last November.


Commentary PodCast: Five For Bombing
John Ondrasik, the superstar pop-rock singer of "Superman" and "100 Years," joins the podcast today to discuss the latest with Iran, his own journey into pro-Israel activism, and the moral framework of American foreign policy and our armed forces.


EXCLUSIVE: ISRAEL’S WAR OF WORDS (and MEMES!)-SOCIAL MEDIA IN A WAR ZONE Erin Molan
The battle for hearts and minds internationally is as big at it gets during modern warfare. Tammy is the head of the IDF International Social Media department - a HUGE job.

She tells Erin Molan what the strategy is, how they measure ‘wins’ and why so many who support Israel say they are failing the PR War…


The Muslim Country That Rejected Radical Islam
Visegrad24 founder Stefan Tompson sits down with the Emirate journalist, political strategist and peace activist Amjad Taha in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to discuss why the UAE has managed eradicate Islamist terrorism form their country while Europe sees repeated attacks.

Amjad made history by leading the first youth delegation to Israel after the UAE signed the Abraham Accords which normalized relations between the two countries. He's frequently interviewed on CNN, Fox News, Sky News and Newsweek.

Last year, the released the book "The Deception of The Arab Spring" which analyzed how the movement was hijacked by extremist and Islamist forces.

Amjad warns that if Europe doesn't wake up soon, Islamist extremist will be able to radically change the continent's societies.

00:00 - Introduction
01:13 - Islamism in the West
04:21 - Islamism abusing freedom of speech
07:28 - What to do about radicals


travelingisrael.com: The Israel–Iran War Is a RELIGIOUS War — And the West Still Doesn’t get it.
What’s happening in the Middle East isn’t just political — it’s religious.

From the persecution of Christians across the region to the rise of groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, this video breaks down why the war isn’t just about Israel or Gaza — it’s about Islamists waging a global religious war against Jews, Christians, and Western civilization.

Why are rockets fired at Israel from Yemen? Why are Christians disappearing from every Muslim country? Why does the West struggle to see the religious nature of the conflict?

Because we think in terms of states — but they think in terms of jihad.

In this video:
The collapse of Christian communities across the Muslim world

Why Israel’s existence is a religious problem for Islamists

What Hamas actually says in its charter

How the Muslim Brotherhood aims to “destroy the West from within”

Why Western universities and media are falling for the narrative


Tikvah PodCast: Jay Lefkowitz on New York City’s Democratic Primary
On June 24, members of New York City’s Democratic party will select their nominee for the mayoral election that is scheduled to take place in November of this year. As of last year, 56 percent of registered voters in New York were Democrats, but even that number doesn’t fully express the extent of the Democratic party’s hold over the city’s affairs. Democrats hold a supermajority on the city council and control the three major citywide offices—mayor, comptroller, and public advocate—and all three of New York City’s congressional representatives are Democrats. New York is a Democratic city, and it is widely believed that the winner of the Democratic primary will be heavily favored in the fall vote. Even though the official election isn’t until November, the most important element in that election will be determined next week.

Because New York remains the most important Jewish city in the United States, next week’s primary election will have outsized consequences for more Jews than any other municipal election. To discuss the candidates and to explore the Jewish questions that are going to be put before the next mayor, Jonathan Silver is joined by Jay Lefkowitz, a senior partner at Kirkland and Ellis, an adjunct professor at Columbia Law School, and a member of Tikvah’s board of trustees. Lefkowitz also served the George W. Bush administration as the United States envoy on human rights in North Korea and the deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy.The conversation touches on anti-Israel and anti-Jewish violence, domestic terror, and education and funding in haredi schools—all of which are election issues in way or another—and on what matters most to Jewish voters.

The conversation touches on anti-Israel and anti-Jewish violence, domestic terror, and education and funding in haredi schools—all of which are election issues in way or another—and on what matters most to Jewish voters.


Ohio Family Physician Charged After Allegedly Threatening To Kill Jewish Congressman in Anti-Semitic Outburst
Authorities on Friday charged a doctor who allegedly threatened to kill Jewish congressman Max Miller (R., Ohio) and his one-year-old daughter as part of an anti-Semitic rant.

Feras Hamdan—a family medicine physician in Cleveland—turned himself in to police after Miller on Thursday filed a criminal complaint for aggravated menacing. Hamdan appeared in court Friday afternoon, with Judge Joseph Burke setting bond at $500,000, Fox 8 News Cleveland reported.

When the Washington Free Beacon reached out to Hamdan's clinic for comment, the person who answered the phone said, "Not at this time," and hung up.

Miller, a Marine veteran, said in a Thursday video posted on X that an "unhinged, deranged man" ran him off the road.


Dave Smith humiliates himself, again
Why These Claims Are Problematic

Smith’s statements have been widely criticized for factual inaccuracies and inflammatory rhetoric.

- False Equivalence of U.S. and Iran Funding: Comparing U.S. aid to Israel, which supports defensive systems like Iron Dome, to Iran’s backing of Hamas and Hezbollah, groups responsible for terrorist attacks, is misleading. U.S. aid, about $3.8 billion annually, bolsters a democratic ally, while Iran’s funding fuels groups launching rockets at Israeli civilians, as seen in the October 7, 2023, attack (The Guardian, June 16, 2025). X users like @EYakoby called this a “nonsensical” conflation.
- Impeachment Call Lacks Basis: Smith’s demand for Trump’s impeachment over Israel support is viewed as baseless, as Trump’s stance aligns with longstanding U.S. policy. Impeachment requires evidence of “high crimes,” which Smith fails to provide, rendering his call performative (Reddit r/BreakingPoints).
- Misrepresenting Gaza’s Blockade: Smith’s claim of a total Israeli blockade ignores Egypt’s control over Gaza’s southern border and ongoing humanitarian aid flows, despite restrictions. This was corrected by Murray, who noted Smith’s lack of regional visits (Joe Rogan Experience, April 2025).
- Holocaust Imagery and Historical Distortion: Labeling Gaza a “concentration camp” and Israel’s founding as “illegitimate” is criticized for trivializing the Holocaust and ignoring the 1947 UN Partition Plan and Jewish persecution post-World War II. Critics argue this fuels anti-Israel sentiment without historical context (Deseret News).
- Blaming Israel for Antisemitism: Suggesting Israel’s actions primarily drive global antisemitism oversimplifies a complex issue with historical roots, drawing accusations of victim-blaming.
- Lack of Expertise: Smith’s credibility is questioned due to his admitted lack of firsthand experience in the region, leading to errors like overlooking Hamas’s role or Iran’s aggression
Debate: Should the U.S. Support Israel Against Iran?
On Thursday, June 19, the Freedom Center’s Robert Spencer debated “Part of the Problem Podcast” host Dave Smith, who has become a tireless spokesman for the forces of opposition to Israel. Moderating and cosponsoring the debate was former Congressman Matt Gaetz, with ZeroHedge as the other cosponsor.

Smith argued that supporting Israel in pursuing the end of Iran’s Islamic regime would be a repetition of the mistakes made in 2003 when the U.S. entered Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein. Spencer argued that the two situations were not only different, but practically the polar opposite of one another, and that the first people to celebrate the end of the Islamic regime in Tehran would be the Iranians.

The debate illuminates the fault line among patriots today and demonstrates why President Trump is completely correct to support Israel wholeheartedly against the bloodthirsty regime in Iran.


Seth Mandel: Tucker Carlson Has a Cold
The reason doctors tell people not to scratch a rash is because doing so will likely trade near-term satisfaction for long-term discomfort. Yet you can’t ignore it completely, lest it be a symptom of a greater malady. So the question is: What does one do when the body politic develops a Tucker Carlson?

I have watched every iteration of the product known as “Tucker Carlson” over the course of his chameleonic career, and I have never seen him having less fun than he is right now. This is unfortunate, because misery loves company. And Tucker really wants company.

Carlson’s sense of humor and casual demeanor have been replaced by a ghastly forced cackle he uses to try to head off his increasingly unstable temper. The anger is the first public expression of Tucker Carlson’s entire career that is genuine. Every single conversation between Tucker and someone who doesn’t agree with him resembles Mel Gibson talking to that cop on the night of his fateful DUI.

Carlson has been pushed to the sidelines but, crucially, not out of the game entirely. So if we can’t ignore Carlson, what’s the level of engagement that makes the most sense?

The very first rule I would suggest is to engage him on the public’s terms. The public broadly sees Carlson as a shameless grifter. Does he believe the anti-Semitism he spews? Does he believe the Russian subway system is really a technological marvel? Does he believe that Winston Churchill is the villain of World War II?

I don’t know, but I think the anger and the Ursula the Sea Witch cackle are the product of a guy who knows how ridiculous he looks and sounds. One ought to engage Tucker with dripping condescension, not serious debate.


Twitch streamer is pushing Gen Z boys to the extreme left with twisted views on Israel, 9/11
The moral panic about Andrew Tate and his influence on young men has been massive — but what about the leftist, socialist and arguably antisemitic mega-streamer influencing millions of predominantly young male followers?

Hasan Piker, known to his 2.9 million Twitch followers as HasanAbi, appeals to the same “bro” demographic as stereotypical right-leaning manosphere influencers — popping nicotine pouches, gaming on livestream and hitting up the gym as well as gun ranges — but he sells a very different ideology.

The 33-year-old New Jersey-born streamer, who recently showed up at anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles in a bulletproof vest, has self-described as leftist, socialist and anti-capitalist. He holds enormous cultural sway with the Zoomers who flock to Twitch, a platform with more users in the 16- to 24-year-old demo than any other.

Parents should keep an eye on Piker, who has told his 7.3 million followers across platforms — multiple times — that America “deserved 9/11” and that Jews are “inbred.”

He is truly indefatigable and on Twitch for seven, eight, nine hours day, at least six days a week. As of June 18, Piker’s only taken two days off since the month started, and streamed more than 10 hours on June 8.

Set up at his home monitor, the streamer flips through news clips and articles, from Al Jazeera to Fox News, and occasionally films himself gaming or giving dating advice. He will usually rack up more than a million views over the course of a stream.

Piker’s stamina is matched only by that of his fans, who flood the comments at breakneck speed.

“May Allah awaken President Xi and allow him to see the evil doing of Israel and the United States,” one commenter said on a recent stream. Another chimed in when Piker showed a clip from Fox News: “In a just world Fox News in its entirety would be lined up in the Hague for these lies and propaganda.”

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Even after Piker logs off his hours-long video feed, the messages keep pouring in. In a recent livestream discussing Israel’s conflict with Iran, he called Israel “the giant baby nation with nuclear arms” and said its “existence is a great shame and a serious stain.”

Piker also suggested that the May 21 Capital Jewish Museum shooting in DC, which left two young Israeli Embassy staffers dead, resembled a “false flag operation.”

“Every single thing that [accused shooter Elias 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,” he said on his livestream. “You could not have decided a better false flag incident like this.”

“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.”

Major political figures on the left are clamoring to sit down with him.


Richard Kemp: After the Brize Norton attack, Britain should be placed on a war footing
Many were astonished recently at Russia’s inability to defend its military aircraft when Ukraine carried out drone strikes against them deep inside Russian territory. Well now the inadequacy of our own air base security has been exposed, although thankfully in a far less serious way. For now.

RAF Brize Norton was attacked not by external forces but the enemy within. This was not a protest; it was a deliberate act of sabotage against military assets used to defend our country. What is shocking is that these saboteurs were able to access a highly defended base, put two air to air refuelling tankers out of action, and leave without being detected.

That should not have happened at any time. But right now military bases should have been on a substantially heightened state of alert. Whether or not we are providing any assistance to Israel in its defensive operations against Iran, Tehran certainly believes we are. They see us as a key ally of Israel and also attribute to Britain a disproportionate level of influence over US actions.

We are therefore a high priority target for Iranian terrorism. Don’t forget only weeks ago seven Iranians were arrested here on allegations of preparing terrorist attacks and other security offences. And in 2015 our security service disrupted an Iranian-backed bomb plot on the outskirts of London. The threat from Tehran has significantly increased since the latest arrests, with Iran under attack and the ayatollahs desperate to find effective ways of hitting back at Israel and its allies.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has long positioned sleeper cells in European countries including the UK for precisely the situation they find themselves in now. This was a known specific threat back in the early 2000s, when I was working for the UK Joint Intelligence Committee. We don’t know exactly their capabilities but it would be irresponsible not to assume that terrorist attacks in Britain could be initiated from Tehran at any time.

The fact that the British Government has repeatedly refused to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation suggests a dangerous degree of complacency. That should have happened a long time ago and certainly should happen now.
Pro-Palestine protesters 'break into Brize Norton and damage two military planes with red paint' in huge security breach
Pro-Palestine protesters have claimed responsibility for breaking into RAF Brize Norton and damaging two military planes in a shocking breach of security.

Palestine Action said two of its activists infiltrated Britain's largest RAF base and sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft before escaping without being caught.

Shocking footage shared by the group this morning shows protesters storming across the RAF runway in Oxfordshire on electric scooters.

The bodycam footage then shows them spraying red paint into the turbine engines of the air-to-air refuelling tankers which the RAF say are 'vital for enhancing the operational reach and flexibility of Britain's military air power'.

Palestine Action claim to have used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray the paint, while they say they caused further damage with crowbars.

The activists said they sprayed red paint across the runway and left a Palestine flag behind before fleeing the base undetected.

The protest will raise huge questions over security at the RAF base at a time when the world is teetering on the brink with war raging in the Middle East and state threats from both Russia and Iran.

The Ministry of Defence said it 'strongly condemn this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets' and is working closely with police.

It comes just days after Palestine Action activists brazenly filmed themselves breaking in and vandalising the warehouse of a firm that supplies military items to Israel.


Palestine Action to be proscribed following break-in, vandalism of RAF base
The UK government will proscribe Palestine Action following the break-in and vandalism of RAF Brize Norton base in Oxfordshire on Friday morning, the BBC reported.

The UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced she was preparing a written statement to present to parliament, which, if it passes, will lead to the organization being proscribed, essentially declaring it a terrorist organization.

If the group is proscribed, it would make it illegal to be a member of the group, provide material support to the group, or voice public support for the group.

The incident on Friday morning saw two activists break into the RAF base and spray red paint onto the engines of two Voyager aircraft present at the base. They are also accused of further damaging them with crowbars.

"Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza, and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets," the group said in a statement claiming responsibility for the action.

Counterterrorism police, as well as regional police and Defence Ministry officials, will be investigating the incident.

Palestine Action responded to reports of the impending proscription, saying, "In response, the political establishment rushes to call us 'terrorists', whilst they enact the worst crimes against humanity. No amount of smears or intimidation tactics will waver our solidarity with Palestine. We will break every link in the genocidal supply chain."

The UK Defence Ministry later updated that they did not expect the vandalism to interfere with operations.


Pro-Palestinian activist Khalil walks free after US judge orders releaseMahmoud Khalil says he is being punished for his political speech in violation of the US Constitution's First Amendment.
Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil walked out of a Louisiana immigrant detention center on Friday, hours after a judge ordered his release, a major victory for rights groups that challenged what they called the Trump administration's unlawful targeting of a pro-Palestinian activist.

"Although justice prevailed," he said upon his release in the rural town of Jena, "it's long, very long overdue. And this shouldn't have taken three months."

On March 8 Khalil, a prominent figure in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, was arrested by immigration agents in the lobby of his university residence in Manhattan. President Donald Trump, a Republican, has called the protests antisemitic and vowed to deport foreign students who took part. Khalil became the first target of this policy.

After hearing oral arguments from lawyers for Khalil and for the Department of Homeland Security, US District Judge Michael Farbiarz of Newark, New Jersey, ordered DHS to release him from custody at a jail for immigrants in rural Louisiana by 6:30 p.m. (2330 GMT) on Friday.

Farbiarz said the government had made no attempt to rebut evidence provided by Khalil's lawyers that he was not a flight risk nor a danger to the public.

"There is at least something to the underlying claim that there is an effort to use the immigration charge here to punish the petitioner," Farbiarz said, referring to Khalil as he ruled from the bench, adding that punishing someone over a civil immigration matter was unconstitutional.
How a keffiyeh-wearing keynote speaker sparked boos for Jews at my UCLA graduation
Last week, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) held several separate graduation ceremonies for its various schools and divisions. Bella Brannon recounts what the guest speaker, an artist and writer of fiction, had to say at the Humanities Division commencement:

Carribean Fragoza took to the podium donning a keffiyeh, declaring “From the river to the sea!” . . . and delivering a lesson in solipsism and sophistry. This hateful message emboldened the audience to boo when graduates in Jewish studies and Hebrew were called to the stage.

If there could be a better encapsulation of how vicious hatred of Israel legitimates anti-Semitism, it would be hard to find. And the situation was perhaps even worse at other graduations:

When student leaders read the School of Public Health’s oath, students in the crowd chanted “except in Palestine” in call-and-response, without reprimand. . . . At UCLA’s Labor Studies ceremony, a speaker declared the illegal encampments that roiled campus last year to be a highlight of his academic career and accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. At the World Arts and Cultures graduation, the student speaker wore a keffiyeh, similarly accused Israel of genocide, and claimed to have failed out of her original major, earning applause, not concern.

In each of these instances, the speeches were either approved by UCLA administrators or abetted by those who refused to step in when speakers went off script. The descent of UCLA’s commencements into ideological theater is not just an embarrassment. It is a wake-up call.
Suspended pro-Hamas student group holds 'teach in' to educate UW students on 'scientific necessity' of violence in activism
The University of Washington suspended student group SUPER UW, already notorious for racking up over $1 million in damages after a violent antisemitic occupation of the campus engineering building, has escalated its radical agenda to not just call for terror and violence, but also to teach it. At a recent “teach-in,” the group openly advocated for armed violence, praised internationally recognized terrorist organizations, and framed bloodshed as a “scientific necessity.”

The teach-in featured a sympathetic profiling of three armed groups central to the Palestinian resistance: the Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas’ armed wing), the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades (PFLP’s military wing), and Saraya al-Quds (Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s armed wing). SUPER UW portrayed these groups not as extremists but as diverse actors united in “the fight for Palestinian liberation through armed resistance.”

Rather than condemning these groups for decades of terrorism—including suicide bombings, rocket attacks on civilians, and hostage-taking—SUPER UW portrayed them as freedom fighters “united in the fight for Palestinian liberation through armed resistance.”

Each group’s ideological differences were downplayed, with the speaker emphasizing their unity in armed struggle and opposition to Israel. Israel’s depiction of them as monolithic terrorists was dismissed as “dehumanization,” despite their documented civilian targeting and designation as terrorist organizations by the US, EU, and others.

- Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades were celebrated as “the elected government of Gaza,” with a platform based on Islamic resistance, rejection of any two-state solution, and normalized armed conflict.
- The PFLP’s Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades were praised for their Marxist-Leninist roots and anti-capitalist stance, again linked explicitly to violent revolution.
- Saraya al-Quds was positioned as Iran-aligned and committed exclusively to military resistance, unconcerned with governance or diplomacy.

The teach-in’s agenda was steeped in violent rhetoric, with a session titled “Armed Resistance as a Scientific Necessity.” SUPER UW celebrated the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack—referred to as the “Al-Aqsa Flood”—as a “day of decolonization and liberation” and a “fundamental turning point within the world’s history.”


Rogue states Russia and Iran attempting to destroy MAGA movement with disinformation bot army
Russia and Iran are targeting the Make America Great Again movement and trying to “destabilize the right from within,” according to a new report.

Both rogue states are using tens of thousands of social media bots to amplify untrue voices and opinions “masquerading as MAGA loyalists,” to cause chaos and confusion and question US leadership, The Post has learned.

The bots are automated software applications that mimic human activity on social media.

They are used to amplify real-life influencers who post untrue “false flag” narratives designed to discredit President Donald Trump and his conservative stalwarts, according to a bombshell new report from the Network Contagion Research Institute, a politically neutral nonprofit who study extremism on the web.

“If you talk to Republicans right now, more than 80 percent of them support the war against Iran. But if you go on Twitter you get the sense that there is a civil war raging.

“This is exactly the purpose of the psychological operation — to destabilize people’s perceptions of institutions that are supposed to protect us,” said an NCRI analyst.

The bots make it look like extreme posters have tons more support than they actually have, which helps to persuade other real life viewers that what they are posting is legitimate.

The bots use innocuous, average names and have profiles which make them appear as average Americans.

NCRI says after domestic attacks, including the Uvalde school shooting, Matthew Crooks assassination attempt on Donald Trump and the murder of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington DC in May it has noticed an alarming trend of a “false flag reflex”.

“Within minutes of initial reports [the events are recast] as evidence of hidden conspiratorial plots, obscuring the true motives and perpetrators.

“In the days following these crises, Kremlin-affiliated propagandists and Iranian state-linked media are able to rapidly inject narratives that are taken up by MAGA-impostor influencers, who then inject them into MAGA-branded spaces,” the report notes.


In apparent shift, CNN describes Arab-Israeli towns as Palestinian
After an Iranian ballistic missile struck a home in the northern Israeli city of Tamra, killing a woman, her two daughters and her sister-in-law, news outlets faced an additional challenge beyond the sober responsibility of covering a tragic loss: choosing what language to use to describe these women and their ethnic identity.

Tamra is an Arab town, with a history dating back hundreds of years. When Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited on Wednesday, he talked about the “shared society of Jews and Arabs” in Israel that “believe in our common life together,” and described the victims as “Muslim women.” Most news reports — in major international outlets including the Associated Press, Reuters, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal — referred to Tamra as either an “Arab-Israeli city” or an “Arab town in Israel.”

CNN, however, chose a different word for Tamra, a city that is firmly inside Israel’s original 1948 borders: Palestinian.

“Iranian strikes expose bomb shelter shortage for Palestinian towns inside Israel,” read one headline from this week. The accompanying article described Tamra’s residents as “Palestinian citizens of Israel.” Another story called Tamra a “Palestinian-Israeli town.”

The descriptor is sure to confuse some readers. If advocates for a two-state solution talk about separate Israeli and Palestinian states, how can there be a Palestinian town within Israel?

The use of the word is not a statement about the town being under Palestinian sovereignty or the jurisdiction of a Palestinian governing authority. The word is used to describe the national identity of the people who live there, similar to describing Americans of Chinese ancestry as Chinese Americans — only much more complicated, because of the recent politics of the war in Gaza and nearly eight decades of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
BBC shelves Gaza doc over impartiality concerns
The BBC says it has decided not to broadcast a documentary about doctors working in Gaza, due to impartiality concerns it has surrounding the production.

Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was commissioned by the BBC but produced by an independent production company. It was originally scheduled for broadcast in February, but has not yet aired on any BBC outlet.

In a statement, the BBC said it was "determined to report all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East impartially and fairly".

Basement Films said it was "relieved that the BBC will finally allow this film to be released". The BBC confirmed it was "transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films".

The production company's founder, Ben de Pear, said earlier this week the BBC had "utterly failed" and that journalists were "being stymied and silenced".

BBC News understands the decision to shelve the documentary was taken on Thursday, following public comments by De Pear at the Sheffield Documentary Festival, and another of the film's directors, journalist Ramita Navai, who appeared on Radio 4's Today discussing the war in Gaza.

Navai told the programme Israel had "become a rogue state that's committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing and mass murdering Palestinians". Israel has denied accusations of war crimes and genocide in Gaza.

A different documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, was pulled from iPlayer earlier this year after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.

Gaza: Doctors Under Attack - also known as Gaza: Medics Under Fire - is said to examine the experiences of Palestinian medics working during the war in Gaza.

The film is directed by Karim Shah, Navai and De Pear, a former editor of Channel 4 News.

In a statement on Friday, the BBC said it had commissioned the documentary over a year ago, but paused the film in April, "having made a decision that we could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing".

"With both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film.


Arrest made in mass shooting threat against S.A. Jewish center
Authorities have taken into custody a man suspected of threatening to carry out a mass shooting at San Antonio's Barshop Jewish Community Center, city officials said.

The threat prompted the center to abruptly cancel programs and services Thursday morning, including a summer camp and a swim practice for children, and it led the San Antonio Police Department to step up security at Jewish institutions across the city.

On Thursday afternoon, city officials said the FBI had informed Police Chief William McManus that a suspect was under arrest.

"This development significantly mitigates any further danger related to the threat. SAPD will continue to monitor the situation closely and maintain open communication with local Jewish organizations," city officials said in a statement.

The FBI said the suspect was in custody outside Texas. Authorities did not identify the suspect or the state where he was being held.

"Based on our investigation, we don’t believe there is an imminent threat targeting the Jewish community in the San Antonio area," said a spokeswoman for the FBI's San Antonio field office.

The drama began overnight, when the FBI said it received a tip indicating that someone was planning a mass casualty attack on "a Jewish Cultural Enrichment Center." The bureau's preliminary investigation led agents to believe the target was in San Antonio.
Synagogue ransacked and Torah scrolls desecrated in Stamford Hill burglary
A north London synagogue was vandalised overnight in a shocking break-in that saw Torah scrolls desecrated and extensive damage caused to its interior.

The Gur Synagogue on Lampard Grove was targeted in the early hours of Friday. Images shared online show torn holy books scattered across the floor, smashed cabinets and lockers, and a visibly shaken community as police carried out forensic work at the scene.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed: “An investigation has been launched after a reported burglary in Lampard Grove, N16.

Damage to the Aron Kodesh at Gur Synagogue, where vandals tore off wooden panels during the overnight break-in.

“Police were alerted at 07:08hrs on Friday, 20 June. Officers remain on scene with the address cordoned off while forensic enquiries continue.

“No arrests have been made at this stage. If you have any information, please contact the Met via 101, quoting 1469/20JUN.”

However, police confirmed to Jewish News that there is currently no indication the break-in was antisemitic in nature, and said it remains unclear what, if anything, was stolen.

The Jewish Community Council of Stamford Hill condemned the incident in a statement posted to social media: “This is a devastating attack on a synagogue in our community. Any attack on a place of worship, of any kind, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. We are pleased to hear that suspects have been arrested, thanks to the swift actions of Shomrim and Hackney Police.”


US Jewish Lawmaker Says He Was ‘Run Off the Road’ by Pro-Palestinian Activist
Anti-Israel activists in Boston targeted Israeli consulate staff this week by distributing a threatening flyer which included their pictures and names, potentially endangering them amid a recent surge in antisemitic violence across the US.

“They spread war into Syria, Lebanon, and now Iran,” the flyer said, according to multiple reports. “The people pictured above and other staff at the consulate work for the Israeli government. They advocate for laws to censor us. Their education initiatives obscure and cover up their crimes. Their economic missions fund genocide.”

It added, “Don’t work with them. Don’t help them. Tell them to leave Boston.”

The Consulate General of Israel to New England on Wednesday acknowledged the severity of the incident, noting that its connection to recent events is not lost on anyone.

“The consulate immediately notified local law enforcement agencies and is grateful for their swift response and continued cooperation, as well as their commitment to deepening security efforts around this matter,” it said in a statement. “This deplorable act is especially concerning in light of recent horrific incidents where anti-Israel incitement has escalated into antisemitism, hate crimes, and acts of violence and terror, including right here in our region.”

Only last month, two Israeli diplomats, Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26 — a couple about to become engaged — were murdered as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum for young professionals and diplomatic staff hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC). Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old left-wing and anti-Israel activist from Chicago, was later charged in US federal court with murdering the embassy aides. According to witnesses and federal agents, he chanted, “Free, Free Palestine” — a war cry that has been a staple of the pro-Hamas movement.




Rabbi who lost spouse, daughters to terror announces engagement
Rabbi Leo Dee, whose wife and two daughters were murdered in a Palestinian terrorist attack in April 2023, announced on Thursday his engagement to Aliza Teplitsky.

“With praise and gratitude, we are excited to share the joyful news: we are engaged—Aliza and Leo,” the rabbi, a resident of Efrat in Judea, wrote on Facebook.

“And for all of it, Lord our God, we thank You,” he added.

Lucy Dee and her daughters Maia and Rina were driving through the Jordan Valley for a family vacation in Tiberias during Passover, when terrorists in a vehicle rammed them off the road near the Hamra Junction. The terrorists approached the victims and opened fire at close range, then fled the scene.

The daughters, 20 and 15 at the time, were pronounced dead at the scene. The mother died from her wounds two days later.

Leo Dee and his daughters Keren and Tali and son Yehuda were driving in a separate car and did not witness the attack.

Israeli security forces killed the two terrorists in an operation in Nablus about a month after the incident.

The British-born Leo garnered national and international headlines for his message of unity in the wake of the attack. He was subsequently offered a position as an Israeli envoy to Jewish communities around the world.

In March, the Jerusalem District Court issued an unprecedented order to temporarily freeze 50 million shekels ($13.7 million) in funds allocated to the Palestinian Authority in a lawsuit filed by Leo.
New play shows that IDF helps gay Palestinians seek refuge in Israel
“In the West Bank gay people are ostracised and victimised. Their lives are endangered, and they need to flee to safety,” says Israeli playwright Tomer Aldubi.

“And Israel is the place where they can take refuge. Since 2016 gay Palestinians can stay in Israel, thanks to the Israel Defence Force that interviews them and can grant them permission. This means that they can stay in the country for two years which gives them time to find a permanent solution and apply to the UN to settle in a refugee country. This is an important story and one that hardly anyone knows about.”

The idea for the play came to journalist Tomer, who writes for the Israeli gay website Mako, back in 2018, when he interviewed three Palestinian gay men who wanted to tell their stories.

“At the time I knew nothing about the Palestinian gay community but, when I uncovered their stories, I knew I had to write a play and tell the world about the Palestinian Gay and Queer community living in Israel. If their sexuality is revealed in the West Bank there is a life sentence hanging over them. They know they can be killed.

“The title is ironic. In Arabic sharif means someone who has a lot of respect, the opposite of what it is like for gay people living in Palestine,” says Tomer. “Sharif represents all the different stories and experiences of the dozens of Palestinians I interviewed. The story centres around a gay Palestinian who is forced to flee for his life. He has to leave his lover and eventually finds safety in Israel.”

Tomer originally wrote Sharif in Hebrew and now, having had it translated it into English, the play is making its debut in London for one day only, then going on tour with the first stop America. An hour long, there are four actors, three men and one woman, and in order that the play remains authentic the performers are all either Israeli or Arab-Israeli.
Descendants of Windermere Boys retrace Holocaust survivors’ journey 80 years on
Dozens of descendants of Holocaust survivors have retraced the journey taken by the Windermere Boys in a 50 km fundraising walk across Cumbria, 80 years after the first group of child survivors arrived in Britain.

The two-day walk began at Carlisle Airport on 8 June, the same place where 301 child survivors of Nazi concentration camps landed on 14 August 1945 aboard RAF Stirling bombers from Prague. Known as the Windermere Boys, they were taken to the Calgarth Estate by Lake Windermere to begin rebuilding their lives.

The symbolic journey raised over £57,000 for The Fed’s My Voice project, which records and publishes first-person testimonies from Holocaust survivors who settled in the UK. The initiative has produced 47 books, with another 13 in development, and is used in schools, universities and football clubs to enrich Holocaust education.

Among the walkers were children and grandchildren of survivors, including relatives of Jack Aizenberg, Ike Alterman BEM, Sam Laskier, Harry Olmer, Abraham Pawlawski, and Lydia Tischler – all featured in the My Voice collection. Families of other survivors who arrived in the UK by different routes also joined.

On the second day, participants were joined by Harry Olmer MBE, now 96, who travelled from London with his family to attend the event’s conclusion at Calgarth, now home to The Lakes School. His daughter read a message of thanks on his behalf, and My Voice books were presented to the school.


Seth Mandel: City of David
On a Friday night in Jerusalem in 2007, David Be’eri recited the prayers welcoming Shabbat at the Western Wall and then, along with two colleagues, headed toward his next stop. Be’eri had been invited to the wedding of a local Arab family and dropped in to congratulate the happy couple before walking home to have Shabbat dinner with his wife and children. One of the Arab guests at the wedding celebration, a man named Wahil, happened to work for Be’eri, and noticed his boss walk through the door. He then noticed a man walk in after Be’eri, raise a butcher’s knife, and attempt to stab Be’eri from behind. Wahil pushed Be’eri away from the blade and tackled the assailant.

This was no random crime. Be’eri had founded an archaeological foundation overseeing the most historically significant digs to take place in the area in a century. The discoveries made by Be’eri’s team have reinforced some prevailing historical assumptions and challenged others, but above all else, they have proved without a shadow of a doubt the 3,000-year-old connection between the Land of Israel and the Jewish people. The fact that this was happening in the 21st century, with cameras and newsreels documenting all of it contemporaneously, meant that almost as soon as a discovery was made (and authenticated), it became part of the historical record. Forget facts on the ground, these were facts in the ground.

And that made David Be’eri a wanted man in the eyes of Palestinian extremists.

The history, the archaeology, and the derring-do behind the excavation of Ir David—the City of David—are all told with verve by Doron Spielman in his new book, When the Stones Speak.1 It is, in part, a memoir. Spielman served for two decades as vice president of the City of David Foundation, the organization founded and led by Be’eri. Spielman witnessed many of the discoveries firsthand, and his enthusiasm for the project and his admiration for Be’eri are present on nearly every page of When the Stones Speak. Though Be’eri is a 72-year-old mustachioed sabra, one can’t help but picture Nicolas Cage or Harrison Ford in his place throughout this book, as he leads teams of curious Israelis single file through dank tunnels with no idea where they will end up or how easy it will be to get back out.

Spielman’s experience has prepared him for the task of answering a question that is much more complicated than it might seem: Just what, exactly, is the City of David?

The simple answer is that it is a place. In 1867, Queen Victoria dispatched the adventurer Charles Warren to go digging around Jerusalem. Warren and his team eventually discovered a spring. It turned out to be a water channel used by King David that is mentioned in the Bible but had never been found. The location of the channel led to a revelation: David’s original city was located outside the walls of what we call the Old City of Jerusalem. Warren had discovered the actual seat of the biblical king.

“Twenty-three excavations over the past one hundred years have confirmed that Captain Charles Warren was right: Over the course of thousands of years, the inhabitants of Jerusalem had moved only a few hundred yards away from the City of David, the original location of Jerusalem from the Bible, to safer ground at the top of the mountain,” Spielman writes. Each time the city was conquered, and a new set of walls built around it, the original city was buried a bit deeper. Subsequent discoveries in the City of David made clear just how much history was preserved underneath the ground where no one had thought to look.




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2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee

Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



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

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