Wednesday, August 13, 2025

08/13 Links Pt2: Human rights orgs. should demand Al Jazeera stop hiring terrorists; Toronto Film Festival Cancels October 7 Documentary; The Evil Idea That Has Taken Over the Woke Right

From Ian:

Israel, Protector of the West, Treacherously Undermined by France, UK, Canada and Australia
Macron's announcement to recognize a fantasy "Palestinian state" not only demolished the negotiations that were reportedly nearing completion for a ceasefire and the return of the 50 remaining hostages; it also might cause the death by starvation, shooting or explosives possibly strapped to them, of the 20 hostages believed to be alive

The Druze -- a small ethnically Arab religious minority that originated as a breakaway from the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam -- do not consider themselves Muslim. Therefore, the other Arabs in Syria do not consider them Muslim either. For months, regime "security forces" have been slaughtering them. Islamic terrorists believe that they are obligated to slaughter anyone not Muslim, based on passages in the Qur'an.

Something appears wrong with this picture. Al-Sharaa promised Trump that he would protect Syria's minorities; so far, he seems to be doing everything but that.

In the latest of these opposition demonstrations, on July 21, dozens of protestors in Gaza shouted "Hamas Out." There is still strong reason to doubt, however, however, if Gazans would be more favorably inclined toward Israel if Hamas were gone.

Israel is already over-extended in defending virtually every minority in the region – while receiving nothing but opprobrium from most of the insensate media and many in Europe. They seem not to realize that they are the beneficiaries of Israel's actions, even as they keep on giving away their continent to newcomers who seem intent on replacing Europe's values with their own.

The question remains, however, if Syria's al-Sharaa in is not still just a terrorist, but in a suit and tie.
Jonathan Tobin: The futility of compassion for those who want to kill you
Validating blood libels
Even worse, it provides Jewish validation for the mendacious Hamas propaganda campaign that alleges that Israel is committing genocide and deliberately starving Palestinians.

Too many Jewish groups, including liberal religious denominations, have chimed in to support a false narrative that the Israeli government’s resolve to continue fighting until Hamas is eradicated is unjust or an act of aggression, as opposed to a defensive war that needs to be won. Influenced by biased liberal media coverage, they take it for granted that blood libels about starvation and genocide are at least partially true, and not just canards rooted in antisemitism.

Israel’s many efforts to trade land for peace in the past didn’t solve the conflict. In fact, it only convinced its foes of the validity of their false claim that the Jewish state’s presence in Judea and Samaria, as well as Jerusalem, was illegal and that the Israelis were behaving as if they were criminals holding onto stolen property.

Rather than a demonstration of Jewish morality, donations aimed at alleviating Palestinian suffering are more likely to convince the recipients and their foreign cheerleaders that they are a manifestation of Jewish guilt and an indication that these Americans feel that they are complicit in Israeli crimes against humanity. In this way, it will buttress the very same blood libel about genocide that UJA says it opposes and help encourage the surge of antisemitism that followed on the heels of the attacks on Israel.

While being charitable sounds like the right thing to do, it won’t do much to help people caught up in the war. But it will be held up as evidence that even Israel’s American Jewish supporters understand that they are part of an evil conflict.

Once the war is over and Hamas eradicated, there will be a time when aid to Gaza might do some good—provided, that is, that the Palestinians are ready to move on from their obsession with an endless, futile war to destroy the Jewish state. Until then, Jewish funds should be exclusively directed toward alleviating the very real suffering of Israeli victims of the war, the wounded and the families of those slain by Hamas, as well as the health of the hostages, and rebuilding the communities sacked by Palestinians who took part in the Oct. 7 invasion and assault.

Doing so isn’t selfish, especially when considering that foreign charities, countries and the United Nations spending so much on Gaza are indifferent to the war’s impact on Israelis.

Compassion, even for one’s enemies, may seem high-minded. And, of course, we deplore all the deaths and the suffering that this war has brought to both sides. However, when it is applied to those who wish you dead, it becomes an incentive for hate, not an act of kindness. Donating to Gaza now isn’t an indication of a healthy moral compass. It’s a particularly dysfunctional indication of having lost one.
JPost Editorial: Human rights orgs. should demand Al Jazeera stop hiring terrorists, not condemn Israel
The evidence seems irrefutable. Sharif may have been a journalist, but he was also a Hamas member. And as such, given his euphoric social media posts on October 7, 2023, praising the Hamas massacre of innocent Israelis, he wasn’t an objective bystander – he was an enemy of Israel. Putting a “press” sticker on his shirt doesn’t give him immunity.

The disclosures about Sharif put Al Jazeera in an even darker light than it found itself in last year when Israel banned the media network from having offices and broadcasting from the country.

However, Israel isn’t alone in being suspicious of the Qatar-funded network. No less than The New York Times, in a Tuesday report on Al Jazeera, acknowledged it, writing that “in 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain all banned Al Jazeera amid a diplomatic spat with Qatar. Along with Egypt, the countries had accused Al Jazeera of backing terror groups.”

Even the Palestinian Authority has outlawed the network, which has no credibility, either inside or outside the Arab world.

Instead of condemning Israel, journalists' associations and human rights organizations should be demanding that Al Jazeera stop employing terrorists in their midst. Its policy of doing so puts bona fide journalists in grave danger.

The issue of whether the military benefits of eliminating al-Sharif outweigh the international pummeling Israel has taken as a result of it is something the army and the government will have to grapple with.

However, to accuse Israel of deliberately targeting journalists and ignoring al-Sharif’s Hamas connection is being disingenuous – but not surprising.


Natan Sharansky on Identity, Freedom, and Antisemitism
Natan Sharansky warns that the same totalitarian patterns he fought in the USSR are reappearing in the West. In conversation with NGO Monitor Vice President Olga Deutsch, he exposes the ideological shifts fueling antisemitism, weakening democracy, and corrupting the human rights community.


Taliban in Sydney?! Two Victims of Terror SPEAK OUT!
In this gripping episode of The Erin Molan Show, Erin investigates the alarming rise of Intifada support in the West — and speaks with two remarkable guests who know firsthand the cost of terrorism.

🎙 Arnold Roth — who lost his 15-year-old daughter in the 2001 Sbarro bombing in Jerusalem — shares his ongoing fight for justice against one of the terrorists, now free and hosting a TV show in Jordan.

🎙 Roman Abasy, former Afghan taekwondo champion and human rights activist, tells his story of escaping the Taliban — only to see extremist ideology gaining ground in the Western country he fled to for safety.

Plus, Erin runs through the latest headlines and wraps up with Fan Feedback from viewers.


Hen Mazzig: Bono just showed celebrities how to criticise Israel without crossing the line
This is why Bono’s intervention feels so different. He demonstrated that you can speak out against the actions of the Israeli government, even in the strongest terms, without collapsing into rhetoric that targets all Jews or excuses terrorism. As he put it: “The Government of Israel is not the nation of Israel, but the Government of Israel led by Benjamin Netanyahu today deserves our categorical and unequivocal condemnation.”

As an Israeli who has never voted for Netanyahu and has opposed his policies loudly, I could not agree more. I want my government held accountable. But accountability doesn’t come from chants that deny my people’s right to live in our homeland, or from pop stars calling for the death of my country and its line of defense. It comes from challenging policy, not identity; from pressuring leaders, not scapegoating civilians an ocean away.

This is where so much celebrity activism falls short.

And here’s the irony: the pro-Palestine movement could find far more allies among Israelis and Jews if it acknowledged that our humanity is not a bargaining chip. Many of us support Palestinian rights. Many of us oppose our own government’s policies. But too often, we are met not with solidarity, but with hate that casts us as colonial invaders, genocidal by nature, and therefore undeserving of the rights everyone else takes for granted.

Bono showed another way. He was specific, sincere, and rooted in empathy for everyone caught in this nightmare. He didn’t hide his politics, but he refused to let them flatten his moral vision. He showed that you can criticise Israel’s government without feeding antisemitism. You can voice your discomfort with the war in Gaza without holding the entire Jewish nation accountable. That you can call for Palestinian dignity without sanitising Hamas. That you can use a stage not as a weapon, but as a bridge.

In an age when too many artists mistake provocation for principle, that’s a radical act.

Bono’s blueprint is available to anyone who is willing to do the work. It starts with knowing what you’re talking about, resisting the pull of easy slogans, and remembering that words can either build us up or burn us down.

If more public figures spoke like Bono, the conversation would be about justice for both peoples, not a competition over who deserves to live.
The Evil Idea That Has Taken Over the Woke Right
Anyone paying attention the past year has surely noticed a surge in online conspiratorial narratives. It seems as though every week the usual suspects—Tucker Carlson, Darryl Cooper, Alex Jones, Candace Owens, Nick Fuentes, and Ian Carroll—connect new dots to uncover secret conspiracies. Public exposure of this major trend began when Tucker Carlson hosted a revisionist history session with Darryl Cooper (whom Carlson deemed “the most honest and august historian in America”) in September 2024. In that episode, Cooper said that “Churchill was the chief villain of World War II” and that the concentration camps responsible for the death of 6 million Jews were the result of poor planning.

At the time, it seemed as though this was just an isolated discussion about incorrect history, thoroughly debunked by historians. But soon, what started as a historical debate became a movement itself. Podcasters began relitigating Jewish history, Zionism, 9/11, the Iraq War, drug crises, and the moon landing.

Since then, writers and thinkers have been trying to understand this phenomenon, with many theories being offered. For some, those on the “woke right” are staunch isolationists, born in the post-Iraq world, and they’ve gone too far, with theories of neocons used to bludgeon any desire for intervention, no matter how small. A more cynical read is that the true motivation is profit, and the most profitable tactic is by way of incendiary claims sure to go viral. A third possibility is that these actors have always had antiestablishment skepticism, and it is President Trump who has changed course.

However, the evidence suggests that the new right-wing conspiracy culture is more than just anti-institutional—it is a new adaptation of an intellectual trend that has dominated the left for two generations. That trend is “critical theory”—the study of the supposedly hidden systems of power and oppression that shape society and must be exposed before being dismantled. Critical theory has found its most salient and powerful expression in the triumph of critical race theory, which posits that America was born in original sin in 1619 and still functions as a machine to suppress black people whose presence in the United States was a crime to begin with and whose problems are the result of a centuries-long criminal conspiracy against them.

The woke right has adapted this and created what I call critical religion theory. It holds that a small elite has hijacked Western civilization and actively used its power to manipulate the world against religion. For these thinkers, the danger isn’t the policy, but that the policy reflects an anti-religious force subverting their worldview, and the world itself, behind the scenes. This movement sees power as illegitimate and influence as suspect. Those in “power”—by which they mean having wealth and success—are clearly part of a group trying to influence the masses. The tools of subversion are money, drugs, movies, devil worship (literally), and sexual blackmail. If you disagree, it’s because you are in on it, too.

What appears to be random conspiracy theorizing of disparate topics is, in fact, a coherent theology that views secular power as inherently anti-Christian and positions authoritarian figures like Hitler as preferable to modern liberal elites. In an article for the Free Press, Rebeccah Heinrichs termed this “the 1939 Project,” a parallel to the left’s 1619 Project. But the analysis needs to be taken a step further. The 1939 Project isn’t just an attempt to sanitize Hitler—it’s about viewing the entire world through a “critical religion” lens.
Norway’s ethical funds: The double standard of global capital
Selective morality
Yet here lies the paradox. The same oil-funded sovereign wealth that lectures the world on humanitarian values owes its very existence to fossil fuel extraction – a practice contributing to a climate crisis disproportionately devastating to vulnerable populations in the Global South.

The same funds invest billions in countries whose human rights records make Israel’s look like a Scandinavian summer picnic. China? Check. Saudi Arabia? Check. Multinationals accused of labor exploitation in Southeast Asia? Also check.

Ethics in investing, when selectively applied, morph into politics dressed as morality. It is easier, it seems, to pressure a democratic state – where the media is free, and corporate decisions are transparent – than to confront regimes that will not politely accept a Norwegian press release.

Virtue signaling
Let us be clear: humanitarian concern is not only legitimate, it is necessary. However, true moral consistency demands a comprehensive audit of one’s entire portfolio, not a carefully curated list that conveniently reinforces domestic political narratives. When Norway’s ethical filters single out Israel while leaving major stakes in authoritarian economies untouched, the “guidelines” risk being seen less as moral compasses and more as political weather vanes.

The practical effect? Israeli firms lose access to some of the world’s deepest capital pools. Norway’s taxpayers, meanwhile, feel reassured that their money isn’t “supporting the occupation.” And the global investment community learns that in the moral marketplace, some sins are punished swiftly, while others are overlooked entirely.

Opportunity and warning
For Israel, these divestments are not just a loss – they’re a signal. The reputational risk of operating in contested territories is no longer theoretical; it translates into capital flight. Israeli companies will need to diversify their investor base, court markets less swayed by Northern European moral frameworks, and ensure robust compliance narratives for global audiences.

For the rest of the world, the Norwegian case is a warning: Today it’s Israel, tomorrow it could be any democracy facing a protracted conflict or unpopular security policy. Ethical investment is a powerful idea, but without universality, it becomes just another geopolitical tool.

In the end, perhaps the real question isn’t whether Norway is right or wrong to divest – but whether it’s willing to hold all nations, including itself, to the same moral standard.
Simpson, Cadwalladr, Crawford – how the world’s top reporters regurgitated mindless nonsense
It is no exaggeration to say that John Simpson is one of the most prestigious journalists in the world. He is one of the pillars of the BBC, where he has worked for more than half a century, with 37 years as its world affairs editor. He has reported from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. His measured sentences and calm demeanour, even when under fire, earned him international recognition and respect. Which is why it is so depressing to see him sharing a falsehood on social media which a student could pick apart on their first day of journalism school.

Yesterday, the veteran correspondent published the following claim: “According to the Watson School of International and Public Affairs in Rhode Island, more journalists have been killed in Gaza than in both world wars, the Vietnam war, the wars in Yugoslavia and the war in Afghanistan combined.”

Simpson is not wrong that the “Watson School of International and Public Affairs” has claimed this. What is obviously and overwhelmingly wrong is the claim itself.

A look at the report from this school shows the claim that fewer than 70 journalists were killed during World War Two, for example. If that sounds ludicrous, that because it is. The claim has been thoroughly dissected online – it appears that it is based on the Freedom Forum’s memorial to journalists who died in the war, which lists 67 journalists. Nowhere does that memorial claim that those were the only journalists who were killed in World War Two. Yet this school has taken this figure and launched it into the wider world as fact.

You don’t need to be the brains of Britain to question the logic of the statement shared by Simpson. More than 100 million people died in all the wars that the school named, while figures from Hamas itself claim that some 63,000 people have died in Gaza. To believe that 100 million dead people contained fewer journalists than 63,000 dead people is to have suspended ones’ sense of reality.
IDF source: Some of the journalists killed with Al Jazeera’s Sharif were also terror operatives
In addition, a military source told The Times of Israel that the strike targeted several other “incriminated terrorists,” meaning verified members of terror groups, in addition to Sharif.

The source did not elaborate on how many or which of the five other journalists were also allegedly terror operatives.

On Monday, the IDF asserted that Sharif was “the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops.”

The military said that “intelligence and documents from Gaza, including rosters, terrorist training lists and salary records, prove he was a Hamas operative integrated into Al Jazeera,” sharing a screenshot of the relevant documents.

The documents, published by the IDF in October 2024, showed that Sharif joined Hamas’s military wing on December 3, 2013, where he served as a commander of a rocket-launching squad in northern Gaza. He was certified as the team commander on January 1, 2019, according to the documents.

On April 7, 2017, Sharif was wounded in his eye and suffered hearing loss during Hamas training, though he continued to remain in the organization on a $200 monthly salary, according to a 2023 document published by the military. A separate, undated document showed that Sharif’s name was on the internal phone registry of the elite Nukhba Force company in Hamas’s East Jabalia Battalion. A codename for Sharif is also listed in the directory.

Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif (in red), who was killed by the IDF in Gaza on August 10, 2025, shown together with the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (second from right) and other Hamas leaders in undated photographs posted by the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman on August 11, 2025.

IDF international spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Monday that the documents the army published in October are “only a small, declassified portion of our intelligence on al-Sharif leading up to the strike.”

The strike on the journalists’ tent sparked a wave of criticism and calls for an in-depth investigation, including from the UN, the EU and a number of European nations.


Toronto Film Festival cancels screening of Oct. 7 documentary
The Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday removed from its lineup a documentary about the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, reportedly due to copyright concerns relating to footage captured by the terrorists and security issues.

A TIFF spokesman told Deadline, an online Hollywood news site, on Tuesday: “The invitation for the Canadian documentary film ‘The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue’ was withdrawn by TIFF because general requirements for inclusion in the festival, and conditions that were requested when the film was initially invited, were not met, including legal clearance of all footage.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized and satirized the decision, writing on X on Wednesday that it was made because “there was no ‘legal clearance’ from Hamas for their GoPro massacre videos.”

The festival, he added, “would have asked Hitler or Goebbels for copyright on Auschwitz footage,” adding, “Of course, the festival is about to screen five Palestinian films. This vicious and sickening decision must be canceled immediately!”

The movie, directed by Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich, focuses on Israel Defense Forces Maj. Gen. (res.) Noam Tibon, who saved his family, including his two granddaughters, from the Hamas massacre.

Tibon also extracted survivors of the Nova Music Festival attack and rescued wounded soldiers during his mission to save his family.
Toronto Film Festival Cancels October 7 Documentary, Citing a Lack of 'Legal Clearance' From Hamas Terrorists
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has canceled its screening of a documentary about Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, ostensibly citing a lack of "legal clearance" for footage filmed by Hamas terrorists, according to a Tuesday report.

The festival claims to have withdrawn its invitation for the Canadian documentary The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue because the filmmakers did not meet its general requirements, "including legal clearance of all footage," a spokesperson told Deadline. The documentary, originally set to air at the festival next month, shows how retired Israel Defense Forces general Noam Tibon rescued his family members and others during the October 7 attack, featuring video clips that Hamas terrorists recorded when they committed the massacre.

"Filmmakers were told they had to make editorial changes specifically identifying horrific footage that was livestreamed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, footage that had already been seen publicly," Deadline reported.

Sources told Deadline that the film festival was also concerned over "potential risks of disruptive protests at this year's festival." The event runs from September 4 to September 14.

The Canadian Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs agreed that the real reason for the cancellation is the festival's fear of anti-Semitic protesters. "It is inconceivable that TIFF allows a small group of extremists—using intimidation and threats of violence—to dictate which films Canadians can see at the festival," the group said in a statement to the Times of Israel.

Festival organizers made an increasing number of demands on the filmmakers as the festival approached. "On August 6, TIFF's lawyer informed the producers that they wanted to see evidence of the indemnification, legal letter and insurance certificate, and screen the film for a third time on August 8 to verify that TIFF's required changes were made," according to Deadline's report. The organization's CEO, Cameron Bailey, then asked the documentary's producers to withdraw the film, which they refused. In response, Bailey on Tuesday officially canceled the proposed screening and disinvited the filmmakers.
TIFF cowardly cancels October 7 doc to protect Hamas murderers
TIFF’s rationale — that cancelling the screening is about “clearing rights” from terrorists — collapses under scrutiny. This isn’t about intellectual property. It’s about suppressing truth that some people find politically inconvenient. As the filmmakers themselves say: “We are not political filmmakers, nor are we activists; we are storytellers. We remain defiant, we will release the film, and we invite audiences, broadcasters, and streamers to make up their own mind, once they have seen it.”

Film festivals should defend artistic freedom, confront audiences with hard truths, and spark difficult conversations. Instead, in a statement TIFF pointed to the need to disqualify films that could pose a “potential threat of significant disruption.” That same logic was cited last year when TIFF canceled Russians at War after massive protests — even though, at first, the festival defended its inclusion. Eventually the film was shown after the festival when the crowds had gone home, and under heavy security.

In uninviting Avrich’s film, TIFF has betrayed its mission — and robbed audiences of the chance to confront the reality of October 7. The truth should be seen, not buried, even if it’s hard to watch.


Anti-Israel activists are rewriting Jewish history on Wikipedia — here’s why it matters
Why this should matter to everyone
If you care about history, truth, or the ability to have informed debate, what’s happening on Wikipedia should deeply concern you, especially if you care about how the Jewish story is told.

Wikipedia shapes how the world understands Zionism, Israel, and Jewish identity. It influences students, journalists, algorithms, and even policymakers.

When photos of Amin al-Husseini meeting with Nazis are scrubbed, when Jewish indigeneity is erased, or when antisemitic terror groups are given the benefit of the doubt, this isn’t just sloppy editing. It’s historical erasure. It distorts the Jewish story, reframes antisemitism as legitimate resistance, and rewrites reality under the guise of neutrality.

This is not harmless internet bias. It is deliberate, widespread disinformation, designed to legitimize antisemitism and delegitimize Jewish presence in their indigenous homeland. The fight for accuracy isn’t over

Some activists and watchdog groups are pushing back. Some editors involved in coordinated manipulation have been banned. Tech for Palestine shut down its Discord server after exposure.

Reports by the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Journal, and others have helped raise public awareness.

However, reforming Wikipedia from within looks increasingly unlikely. The platform’s decentralized volunteer model and minimal oversight make systemic change difficult, especially in the face of well-organized campaigns.

Much of the power to address this problem lies with platforms like Google, which amplify Wikipedia content extensively. Experts and activists are calling for Google to stop treating Wikipedia as a primary source for contentious topics like Israel and antisemitism. Some are petitioning Google to sever Wikipedia as a source in Knowledge Panels until proper safeguards and oversight mechanisms are established.

Wikipedia editors
Others argue for creating redundant, auditable systems to monitor and verify information on contentious topics (CTOP). At a minimum, CTOP Wikipedia articles should be removed from first-page search results on major search engines until their neutrality can be independently verified.

Google shareholders must recognize the liability risks tied to Wikipedia’s exploitation for antisemitism weaponization. Beyond Google, there are calls to engage other tech giants like Yahoo and Microsoft to deprioritize Wikipedia in their search algorithms or, at the very least, increase transparency and accountability around how its content is sourced.

Most importantly, the public needs to understand Wikipedia’s structural fragility and how easily it can be hijacked by ideological actors. A crucial part of the response is education, exposing how the platform’s exploitation to rewrite history, deny atrocities, and invert narratives is key to mobilizing broader pressure for reform.

Wikipedia is one of the most powerful information platforms on Earth. Yet its systems were never designed to handle the ideological warfare now playing out on its pages. Just a few hundred anonymous editors are deciding what billions of people read online.

Without greater accountability, real oversight, and widespread awareness, the digital rewriting of history will continue unchecked. And this problem will not stop with Israel.


UKLFI: Islamic Children’s Summer camp accused of Iranian links has been Cancelled
Camp Wilayah, the children’s summer camp run by an Iran-aligned organization, has been cancelled. The Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission (AIM) which ran the camp, due to take place on 22-25 August in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, had been accused of potentially radicalizing the children at the camp.

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) had written about the camp to Brent Council, where AIM was based, and to Hertfordshire Council, where the camp was to take place. UKLFI had shown that through its social media posts, AIM had glorified martyrdom and spread antisemitic and conspiratorial content, including support for Hamas and Holocaust inversion. AIM now appears to have removed its video on YouTube titled “Know Thy Enemy”, which had spread antisemitic content, and a video from Instagram which indicated its support for a terrorist group.

Eventually it was the Scouts organisation which ran the venue for the camp that decided to cancel it. Ian Tycer, The County Lead Volunteer of Hertfordshire Scouts told UKLFI on 13 August 2025: “The safety of young people, volunteers, and the public is Hertfordshire Scouts’ highest priority. Following increased public attention surrounding a booking by The Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission (AIM), we have become concerned about our ability to fully secure the perimeter of our large site against potential third-party disruption. This could compromise the safe and smooth operation of the site during the scheduled weekend.

After conducting a thorough risk assessment, we have concluded that the situation poses a safety risk to all individuals intending to use the facility during that time. As a result, we have reviewed the AIM booking with Phasels Wood Activity Centre and can confirm that it has been cancelled.”

AIM itself made the following statement “Following discussions with Hertfordshire Scouts, and in light of serious threats levelled at the safety of children at the camp, we regret to announce that this year’s Camp Wilayah will not proceed at Phasels Wood over the bank holiday weekend.”

A letter from 11 Reform UK branch chairs from across Hertfordshire called on Phasels Wood Activity Centre in Kings Langley to cancel the camp run by AIM, which they wrote has “clear and troubling ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Regime”. The Reform UK letter said: “The decision to host Camp Wilayah at this site is not just inappropriate – it is a grave betrayal of everything the Scout movement stands for.”


Censored:
Today, Hamas militants broke the arms and legs of Fawaz Al-Hadaid for daring to criticize them.



Iran fears ‘existential threat’ over Britain’s nuclear sanctions
Iran would face an “existential threat” if Britain and its European allies reimposed UN sanctions over its nuclear programme, a senior official has said.

Britain, France and Germany threatened Iran with crippling economic sanctions it averted in 2015 if it does not begin talks to renew the programme by the end of August 2025.

The deal gave Iran’s economy much-needed relief after nearly a decade of trade and banking restrictions in return for curbs on its nuclear enrichment programme that would stop it from developing a nuclear bomb.

On Wednesday, however, the European powers told Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, they were ready to trigger a “snapback” mechanism if Iran fails to take action by the deadline, but that they had also offered an extension if it does.

“We have made it clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, [the E3] are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism,” the ministers said in the letter.

“[We] are committed to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon,” they added.

The warning has prompted urgent internal discussions in Tehran. “The Islamic Republic does not have the financial or military capacity to endure the snapback of UN sanctions. It would make the people protest again and this time it might be different,” a senior Iranian official told The Telegraph from Tehran.

“They are more damaging than war,” a senior Iranian official said. “The supreme national security council has asked the presidential office to find a way for talks before it is too late.”

The council directed the foreign ministry in July to reopen talks with the Trump administration, aiming to revive diplomacy after the war with Israel, which saw the United States intervene by bombing key Iranian nuclear sites.


Legal group hails breakthrough as US judge equates Israeli flag with Jewish identity
A Jewish legal advocacy group hailed a legal breakthrough in court battles against antisemitism after a US federal judge last week equated the Israeli flag with “the Jewish race.”

The judge’s decision sets a new legal standard that can be used to protect Jews targeted in anti-Zionist attacks, said the National Jewish Advocacy Center, a nonprofit that represented the plaintiff.

Pro-Israel Jewish activist Kimmara Sumrall filed the lawsuit in a federal district court in Washington, DC, last month. Sumrall alleged that she was attacked at a pro-Israel demonstration in Washington in November 2024 while wearing an Israeli flag tied around her neck as a cape.

An anti-Israel activist at the protest approached Sumrall from behind and yanked on the Israeli flag, briefly choking Sumrall. A police officer witnessed the incident and arrested the assailant at the scene, the complaint said.

The anti-Israel protest was organized by Code Pink, a far-left activist group that often demonstrates against Israel. Both the assailant and the pro-Israel activist regularly attended dueling protests in the capital. Sumrall said she had received death threats related to her activism after the attack, causing her to fear for her safety.

The lawsuit argued that the assault was discriminatory, according to the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

The lawsuit, like others filed by Jewish Israel supporters around the US, argued that Zionism is a facet of the faith and not a political position. Jewish legal advocates have used the interpretation of Zionism to protect pro-Israel Jews and combat anti-Zionism under US civil rights protections that cover religion, race and national origin, but not politics. The argument has been widely used in cases involving Title VI of the US Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination in programs that receive federal financial assistance, such as universities.

The lawsuit said Sumrall had been targeted in the attack due to her race, religion and national origin, and sought damages and a restraining order barring the assailant from approaching Sumrall.
Heavily Jewish Illinois city votes unanimously to adopt IHRA Jew-hatred definition
The Highland Park City Council voted 7-0 to adopt both the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of Jew-hatred and the accompanying contemporary examples of antisemitism on Monday.

Annette Lidawer, whose official council biography lists affiliations with Jewish Women’s Foundation of Chicago, Jewish Child and Family Services and Aitz Chaim Center for Jewish Living, introduced the ordinance, which she called “true landmark legislation.”

The bill “helps our staff and city identify and prevent antisemitic behavior and further protects our residents,” she said during the council meeting.

“Why in a city as tolerant and clearly committed to protecting its residents do we need to define antisemitism, and why now?” she asked. “The answer is painfully evident in the world, in our country, in Illinois and even in Highland Park.”

“For the first time since the United States has begun recording hate crimes, acts of antisemitism outpaced race. Antisemitic hate crimes not only surpassed those of race, but 68% of all hate crimes reported last year were antisemitic in nature,” she said, citing FBI data.

Lidawer told the council that it was taking the “brave step” of putting ordinances into place that adopt the IHRA definition and “further directs our city manager to ensure ongoing education and training to our staff and publicity on our website and materials.”

“Not that not only do we condemn all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism, but we can now identify such behavior in order to combat it and to teach others to do the same,” she said.
Man who fired shotgun outside NY synagogue gets 10 years
Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, of Schenectady, N.Y., was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on Tuesday for illegally buying a gun, obstructing religious practice with a dangerous weapon and using a gun in a violent crime, the U.S. Justice Department stated.

Alkhader, who pleaded guilty in federal court in Albany in February, had faced between seven and 15 years in jail and up to $500,000 in fines.

He admitted to shooting a shotgun in the air outside Temple Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Albany, on Dec. 7, 2023, and shouting “free Palestine.”

Alkhader fired the shotgun twice and tried to do so again, but the gun jammed, according to the Justice Department. He then tried to tear an Israeli flag down from a pole in front of the synagogue, after which police officers arrived and arrested him.

“As a result of Alkhader’s actions, Temple Israel was forced to cancel a planned concert and candle lighting ceremony to celebrate Chanukah that evening, and its congregants were afraid to return to their place of worship,” the Justice Department said.

Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights, stated that the department “stands firmly against antisemitism and all hate crimes.”

The shooting “was unfortunately emblematic of the antisemitic violence, rhetoric and practices that have swept this country over the last few years,” stated John Sarcone, acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.

“This year, the Justice Department has emphatically said—through its words and actions—no more,” he said. “My office, with our law enforcement partners, will do everything within our powers to make sure everyone in the Northern District of New York can exercise their right to practice their religion without fear of violence and hatred.”
Star of David necklace ripped from neck, beaten for wearing a kippah, antisemitic attack in France
A 65-year-old Jewish man was violently attacked and his Star of David necklace was ripped from his neck in Livry-Gargan, Paris.

According to the complaint filed with the French police, Dov Sitruk was walking alone down the street wearing a kippah on Saturday when a car with three people stopped next to him.

Two of them got out of the vehicle, asking him for directions, but then, out of nowhere, they began hitting him in the face, pushing him, and grabbing his collar. After this, they tore his gold Star of David necklace from his neck.

Sitruk was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance and then referred to the Forensic Medicine Unit (UMJ) for further examinations and an assessment. He reported being left after the assault with bruises to his left eye and swelling.

Attack in Val-d'Oise
Also on Saturday, a French Jewish man wearing a kippah was attacked on the street in Soisy-sous-Montmorency in Val-d’Oise, north of Paris.

At around 11 a.m., the attacker approached the man and asked if he was Jewish. When the man replied that he was, “the individual insulted him, attacked him, and hit him,” Nathalie Cohen-Beizermann, vice president of French Jewish umbrella organization CRIF, told CNews.

Cohen-Beizermann confirmed that the aggressor is known to the judicial services.

According to Le Journal du Dimanche, the victim was not injured physically, and the attacker has been arrested. The police station of Enghien-les-Bains has been put in charge of the investigation.
Sayed Moosawi claimed $12k payment over Bondi arson attack, court documents allege
A man claimed he was set to receive $12,000 for directing an arson attack on a Jewish business in Sydney's east last year, court documents allege.

Sayed Moosawi has pleaded not guilty to directing a criminal group and directing planning over the arson attacks on the Curly Lewis Brewery and Lewis' Continental Kitchen at Bondi Beach in October.

Documents detailing the crown prosecution's case against the 32-year-old can be revealed after he successfully applied for his release on bail last week.

Angry texts after failed arson attack
According to the documents released by the NSW Supreme Court, the crown will allege Mr Moosawi used the username 'James Bond' on encrypted messaging platform Signal when he texted "I got something good lined up" to an associate on September 30, 2024.

It is alleged the associate and a co-accused travelled to the Curley Lewis Brewer in Bondi on October 15 with their faces covered and carrying suspicious objects when a member of the public spotted them and called triple-0.

The court documents allege the two men were "spooked" and fled the scene, which prompted a string of angry text messages from Mr Moosawi.

"Use both fail the test can't do one small thing," Mr Moosawi allegedly wrote.

He also allegedly texted "make me look stupid front of my mate" referring to an unknown identity.

Both two men remain before the courts and are yet to enter pleas.

A day later, the men, along with Craig Bantoft and Guy Finnegan, allegedly met up with Mr Moosawi at Villawood Hotel, where they were allegedly offered $4,000 to set fire to a premises in Bondi.
Men who attacked Orthodox Jews with water pistols get 'let off with a slap on the wrist'
Two social media influencers who targeted Orthodox Jews with water pistols have been 'let off with a slap on the wrist', antisemitism campaigners say.

Last week, the two men recorded themselves driving around Salford and spraying adults as well as children wearing Orthodox Jewish clothing with water guns.

They could be heard cruelly laughing as they soaked an innocent passers-by, with an unidentified liquid.

A clip showed one of the self-proclaimed 'pranksters' hold his phone near a Jewish man and play an Apple Pay sound effect, while saying: 'You are very rich, I just got £60 from you.'

Before being deleted, the clips amassed nearly a million likes on Instagram and attracted anti-Semitic comments including rat, pig and nose emojis.

The posts were later edited to include a disclaimer, The Telegraph reported, which read: 'This video was made purely for humorous purposes. It is just a joke and not hate speech in any way. Please do not take it the wrong way.'

Following the incident, the duo were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault, but it has since been reported they have since been handed community resolution orders after apologising.

People given community resolution orders receive no criminal record and these can only be given for hate crimes in exceptional circumstances. This includes if a victim does not want to press charges, if an offender confesses, and if an inspector agrees to resolve the case.

However the leniency given to the duo by the Greater Manchester Police has sparked outrage, as Campaign Against Antisemitism says the men have been 'met with a slap on the wrist' for the 'hate crime'.
Brother of Manchester suicide bomber charged over attack on jail guards
A man who helped his brother plot a suicide bomb attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in Britain in 2017 was charged on Wednesday with attempting to murder prison guards in the jail where he was being held.

Hashem Abedi, the elder brother of Salman Abedi, who killed 22 people at the Manchester Arena in northern England, was charged with five offenses following an incident in April this year at HMP Frankland jail when four prison officers were injured, British police said.

He is accused of three counts of attempted murder, one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and one count of unauthorised possession of a knife. He is due to appear at London's Westminster Magistrates Court on September 18.

Hashem Abedi was jailed for at least 55 years in 2020 after being convicted of helping his brother plan the attack, which injured more than 200 people, and whose victims included seven children.

Brothers emigrated to Britain during Gaddafi era
The brothers, born to Libyan parents who emigrated to Britain during the rule of late leader Muammar Gaddafi, had plotted the attack at their home in south Manchester, prosecutors said.


Israeli insurance software provider Sapiens to be bought by US firm for $2.5b
Israeli financial software company Sapiens said Wednesday that it had inked an agreement to be snatched up by US private equity firm Advent International in an all-cash deal worth $2.5 billion.

Under the terms of the deal, Sapiens shareholders will receive $43.50 per common share in cash, representing a premium of about 47.5% over Sapiens’ closing share price of $29.50 on the Nasdaq on August 12, 2025. Following the transaction, Sapiens will revert to being a private company and delist its stock from the Nasdaq and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

Founded in 1982, Sapiens is a developer of AI-powered applications and software solutions to help insurance companies cut costs by automating operations across life insurance, reinsurance, pension and annuities, financial compliance, data analytics, digital and decision management.

“Insurers are increasingly turning to technology to help unlock growth and profitability, drive innovation and improve business resilience,” said Advent director Douglas Hallstrom. “We will work with the company to accelerate investment into technology innovation, AI, and customer centricity.”

With headquarters in Holon and offices in New York, Sapiens employs about 5,000 workers, of whom 800 are based in Israel. The company’s software platform is used by 600 customers across 30 countries worldwide.

“This transaction comes at a critical time of market change, and we believe Sapiens will more effectively be able to navigate this in a private setting,” said Hallstrom.
Elbit Systems awarded $1.6b. European defense contract over five-year period
Elbit Systems has won the bid for a $1.635 billion contract to deliver “a range of defense solutions” to an unnamed European country, the technology military company announced on Wednesday.

The bid that won is a five-year contract pertaining to two categories of technological solutions to be handled by Elbit.

Long-range, precision strike artillery-rocket systems and automated reconnaissance aerial combat systems, both operational and tactical, along with drones, are included in the first category.

The second grouping involves ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance), which provides for SIGINT (signals intelligence), COMINT (communications intelligence), and electronic warfare systems.

The ISTAR technologies from Elbit also encompass intelligence collection and processing systems, together with advanced electro-optical and night vision systems, combat vehicle upgrades, and protective systems.

Elbit said it would provide the country with military digitalization and a Network Combat Solution, based on advanced hardware and communications equipment.

Bezhalel Machlis, the president and CEO of Elbit Systems, said in a statement, “This contract reflects the strong demand for Elbit Systems’ cutting-edge technologies in Europe and demonstrates our ability to deliver integrated, multi-domain solutions tailored to the needs of modern defense forces.”

“Elbit Systems’ comprehensive portfolio has proven itself operationally on the battlefield and is highly regarded by its users. We are proud to support a European nation in strengthening its national security through this strategic partnership. This contract also includes industrial cooperation aimed at strengthening the buyer’s national industrial capabilities in the aforementioned areas,” Machlis continued.
Actor Jason Isaacs to present charity appeal for Holocaust Educational Trust
Jason Isaacs will lead this weekend’s Holocaust Educational Trust BBC Radio 4 charity appeal, highlighting the importance of Shoah education.

As part of the campaign, the Harry Potter and White Lotus star, who has described himself as “profoundly Jewish but not in a religious way”, met with 95-year-old Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg to hear his testimony first-hand.

The funds raised through the appeal will help support the charity’s mission to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten.

HET chief executive Karen Pollock said: “80 years on from the end of the Holocaust, with survivors becoming fewer and frailer and with antisemitism at dangerously high levels, our mission is more urgent than ever.

“The support raised through this appeal will help us continue our vital work educating in schools across the country and ensuring young people understand where anti-Jewish racism can lead.”

Isaacs is among the few internationally known actors to consistently speak out in support of Israeli hostages since the 7 October Hamas attacks.

Goldberg is also the face of Testimony 360, HET’s revolutionary educational VR programming tool.




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