Monday, February 16, 2026

02/16 Links Pt1: The UN Doesn’t Deserve to Be Free of Francesca Albanese; Waltz calls UN a 'cesspool for antisemitism'; Hamas is inching toward another war; The Tucker Carlson effect

From Ian:

Seth Mandel: The UN Doesn’t Deserve to Be Free of Francesca Albanese
The current controversy is over Albanese’s remarks at a recent Al Jazeera conference which Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal also addressed. Albanese referred to Israel as the “common enemy of humanity.” Albanese’s defenders deny that she was referring to the Jewish state as the “common enemy,” and that she was only talking about those who “control vast amounts of financial capital, algorithms, or weapons.”

To reiterate: that is the defense of Albanese. That the enemy of humanity is merely a global cabal of financiers who support Israel.

My sense is that the hilariously weak “defense” of Albanese is evidence of Albanese’s own likely belief that her comments don’t require a defense or an explanation at all, because she does see Israel as the common enemy of humanity. Albanese has never been subtle about this. Her long history of anti-Semitism exists in the public record precisely because she does not want there to be any confusion about her bigotry.

So it’s encouraging to see the French foreign minister say enough is enough: “[Albanese] presents herself as a UN independent expert, yet she is neither an expert nor independent — she is a political activist who stirs up hate.”

Austria and Germany have joined France’s declaration of no confidence in Albanese. Longtime UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric distanced Secretary General Antonio Guterres from Albanese’s comments and, in general, “much of what she says.” Next week, at a UN meeting, France will publicly call for her resignation. Britain may even join the club.

But what would the UN do without Albanese? What would it be? It would certainly be less honest, for starters. People should think of Albanese when they think of the UN. She is an indefatigable agent of misery, a publicist for totalitarian death squads, and a figure of unity in the vast interconnected movement of Jew-haters worldwide.

We deserve a better UN. And until we get it, the UN and Francesca Albanese deserve each other.
Jonathan Sacerdoti: Hamas is inching toward another war
The question is how long this equilibrium can endure. Israel is keen to demonstrate patience: it has no more hostages in the strip, dead or alive. It is comfortable letting America negotiate and threaten Hamas into demilitarisation, as agreed. Israel has surrounded Hamas on every side so that it cannot re-arm or rebuild in any real sense. The Palestinians in Gaza pose little to no real threat to Israel in this current situation. If and when the US efforts to demilitarise Hamas fail, Israel will have the opportunity to go in and take care of it themselves. They are in no rush.

Israel will use repeated violations like yesterday’s to build publicly the case for their renewed military action, banking it for when that time comes. They are keen to show Hamas is testing their restraint daily. But that only works if they do carry through, if they aren’t complacent about their strength.

There is a wider lesson here. Societies adapt to chronic threats. In Israel, the Iron Dome allowed daily life to continue under intermittent rocket fire. In the United Kingdom, repeated jihadist plots and attacks have been met with more monitoring of suspects and vigils affirming our love for ‘diversity’. Synagogue attacks (foiled and successful) are met with more funding for more security. More CCTV is put up. Doors are reinforced. More concrete flowerbeds are planted. Over time, abnormal conditions become administratively manageable. Physically, it might make us safer, but it is also dangerous.

Extremist movements operate through increments. A rocket here. A tunnel there. A balloon drifting across a fence. A breach under rubble. Each act tests tolerance. Each restrained reply informs the next move.

Israel now stands at a delicate point. It seeks to uphold the ceasefire and avoid immediate escalation, giving the US time to pursue its carrot and stick approach with the Palestinians in Gaza. It also carries the memory of what accumulated restraint produced in October 2023. So the Yellow Line still stands, and the ceasefire technically holds.

But eventually, the equation must and will be altered permanently by real, decisive, visible victory. We in the West must also learn from that Israeli resolve and determination for victory. Anything else recreates the conditions that lead to violent collapse.
Behind the Humanitarian Halo: MSF, Oxfam, and World Vision Publicly Exposed
The lack of neutrality is not limited to Oxfam but rather part of a larger problem at global institutions. Former senior editor at Human Rights Watch (HRW), Danielle Haas, likewise recently noted that the organization “rewarded divisive, aggressive tactics — especially when aimed at Israel.” When Haas brought up the “lack of balance” in the organization, the concerns were dismissed. In one instance, while editing a report involving Mohammed El-Halabi, Haas requested that the document include the specific charges against him to provide necessary context. Her request was rejected on the basis that the charges were “wild.”

The existence of deeply entrenched antisemitism and politicized framing within such organizations raises serious questions concerning their moral authority and global credibility. Because when it comes to Israel, they are clearly not interested in maintaining the neutrality they claim.

The cases of MSF, World Vision, and Oxfam reveal how humanitarian organizations can be co-opted to shield terrorist actors while undermining the credibility of their own missions. These organizations have helped preserve a narrative that shields Hamas from accountability while undermining the credibility of the very humanitarian principles they claim to uphold.

This is just the beginning. More and more information is likely to be exposed in the coming months, including vindication of the Israeli narrative that has been so often either ignored or attacked by a media that prefers to take Hamas claims as fact.

But will the media even cover the stories, let alone retract when the evidence is incontrovertible?


Bassam Tawil: The Palestinian 'Constitution' to Destroy Israel
The 162-article draft "constitution," however, shows that, if and when the Palestinians have a state of their own, it would actually not be different from the two mini-states they have had for the past two decades: the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank.

Both Palestinian regimes have miserably failed their people, mainly by depriving them of international aid, democracy, opportunity, free elections, and freedom of speech.

Notably, the new "constitution" repeats and reaffirms the long-standing and familiar positions and policies of the PA and Hamas, especially towards Israel and Jews. These include the "right of return" for Palestinian refugees and their descendants to their former, mostly no-longer-existent homes inside Israel; the continuation of stipends paid to Palestinian terrorists -- a program also known as "Pay-for-Slay," and the perpetual denial of the Jews' far-reaching history and religious roots in Jerusalem.

The new "constitution" is actually saying that the Palestinians want their own state, but they also want to move millions of their own people to the sovereign territory of the neighboring state. The message is still, "My marbles are mine and your marbles are mine."

By omitting Jewish ties to Jerusalem, the Palestinians are saying that there will be no Jews in a future Palestinian state.

This slammed door should be no surprise to anyone: hundreds of thousands of Jews who used to live in Arab countries, including Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Libya, were long ago subjected to ethnic cleansing and expulsion....

It is worth noting that while the Palestinians do not recognize Jewish ties to the land and want a Jew-free state, there are more than two million Muslim Arabs living peacefully and safely inside Israel as full citizens with equal rights.

[A]ny Palestinian who murders or wounds a Jew will be protected by the Palestinian constitution, which will guarantee him or her and the family stipends as high as $3,000 a month -- in a region where the average salary is about $1,000 a month.

The new Palestinian "constitution" shows why the idea of creating another Islamist country at Israel's doorstep is both dangerous and delusional. This "constitution" demonstrates that the Palestinians still have not come to terms with Israel's right to exist, still have not abandoned their dream of destroying Israel, and are still as committed as ever to encouraging terrorists to murder more Jews.
Mansour Abbas says foreign-linked actors pressured him to ally with Netanyahu in 2021
Ra’am party chairman Mansour Abbas said Saturday that foreign-linked actors — possibly related to Qatar — had pressed him to continue coalition talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than join with opposition parties following the 2021 election, citing the premier’s perceived dovish approach to Hamas.

Abbas was courted by Netanyahu to become part of his coalition in 2021, but he eventually partnered with Netanyahu’s rivals, making Ra’am the first Arab party in decades to be part of a ruling coalition, which was led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid.

Speaking in an interview with Channel 12 news, the Arab lawmaker claimed that before the terror group’s onslaught of October 7, 2023, Netanyahu had sought a “long-term arrangement” with Hamas in order to keep the Palestinian leadership fractured and divided between it and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.

When asked if he “received signals from Qatar” as he sat in the room with Netanyahu during their subsequently scuttled coalition negotiations, Abbas responded, “not in the room.”

He refused to confirm or deny whether he received messages from Qatari-linked actors, but divulged that he was contacted by “people from here [Israel] with links to countries abroad.”

“These people encouraged me to continue and try to form a government with Benjamin Netanyahu and not with the other side,” because “Netanyahu doesn’t do wars,” Abbas said.

“I understood that Benjamin Netanyahu had an interest in ensuring that the fragmentation on the Palestinian side was preserved,” he continued, adding that the premier sought to “advance a long-term arrangement with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”


UKLFI: Natasha Hausdorff explains latest changes in Israel's administration of the West Bank
In this interview, Natasha Hausdorff, Legal Director of the UKLFI Charitable Trust, discusses the recent decision of Israel's security cabinet to make several changes in the administration of Judea & Samaria, often referred to as the West Bank.

Natasha first sets out the specific decisions and then examines their legality under international law.

Natasha examines UN statements on settlements and the broader international law framework.

She explains how these issues are interpreted under the Oslo Accords, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, as well as competing claims regarding land administration, environmental enforcement, and the classification of “settler violence” incidents.

The conversation also examines the role of UN data sources, questions of methodology, and how legal narratives influence international policy, sanctions, and public discourse.

Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:05 – What Israeli cabinet measures actually change
01:24 – (1) Revocation of Jordanian law prohibiting sale of land to Jews
03:44 – (2) Opening up land registry
04:46 – (3) Protection of archaeological and historical sites and the environment
05:52 – (4) Jurisdiction over certain functions at Rachel's tomb and the Patriarchs' tomb
07:20 – Legality of these changes
08:56 – Criticism of the ICJ's advisory opinion
12:00 – Allegations of violence by Israeli residents against Palestinians
16:13 – Impact of misinformation
18:14 – Impact of UN's bias on its credibility




Waltz calls UN a 'cesspool for antisemitism' as Trump administration pushes major reforms
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz is calling for sweeping reform at the world body, placing the fight against antisemitism at the top of the agenda as the Trump administration pushes for changes across the institution.

In an exclusive on-camera interview, Waltz argued that confronting antisemitism should be a central pillar of any overhaul of the U.N., alongside a broader return to what he described as the organization’s core mission of peace and security.

"The U.N. has an atrocious history and record when it comes to antisemitism. Number one, it's a cesspool for antisemitism in many ways," Waltz said. "This administration is determined to fight it."

Ambassador Michael Waltz speaks with Israel's Ambassador Danny Danon before a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York City, Nov. 17, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

He framed the issue as both urgent and historic, linking rising global antisemitism and the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks to what he said must be a renewed commitment inside international institutions.

"We have to live up to the mantra of never again," Waltz said. "As we see antisemitism on the rise around the world… after Oct. 7, in particular, we have to live up to that mantra."

Waltz pointed to Holocaust remembrance and survivor testimony as essential tools in combating denial and historical revisionism, saying education must be central to any U.N. response.

"It's about education. It's about fighting back on these ridiculous denials of the Holocaust," he said. "But most importantly, while we still have them, it's about hearing from the survivors and hearing their personal stories."

He added that U.N. forums should elevate survivor testimony rather than political messaging.

"My recommendation to the U.N. is, get the diplomats and the politicians out of the way, let's just hear from the survivors because their stories are compelling, they are tragic, they need to be heard and documented, and they certainly can't ever be denied," Waltz said.


Albanese’s Latest Remarks Expose a Pattern the UN and the Media Can No Longer Ignore
Albanese’s defenders argue that she was referring only to political lobbying or state policy. But given her record, the burden is on her to speak with precision and clarity. Instead, she spoke in a forum known for amplifying anti-Israel rhetoric, using language that predictably triggered outrage.

Over social media, many rushed to frame the controversy as a misunderstanding. Headlines emphasized her claim that she was quoted selectively. Others suggested that criticism of her remarks was politically motivated. What was often missing was a straightforward acknowledgment of her documented history and the cumulative effect of her rhetoric over time.

The issue is not whether UN officials are allowed to criticize Israel. Of course they are. The issue is whether a UN special rapporteur can repeatedly invoke language that resonates with antisemitic tropes, appear at forums that platform terrorist voices, and then dismiss legitimate criticism as bad faith.

The United Nations claims to uphold universal principles and to oppose antisemitism in all its forms. That standard must apply to its own officials. If several democratic governments — France, Italy, and Austria — are calling for Albanese’s resignation, it is not because her remarks were awkwardly phrased. It is because her pattern of conduct has eroded trust in her ability to carry out her mandate impartially.

The question now is not whether her words were clipped or misquoted. It is whether the UN is prepared to acknowledge that a special rapporteur’s credibility depends on more than technical defenses. It depends on judgment, responsibility, and an unambiguous rejection of rhetoric that has historically targeted Jews.

Until that happens, the controversy will not fade. And nor should it.
Sa’ar says antisemite Albanese should be ousted
Israel must go on the offensive against those who delegitimize it, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Monday, referring specifically to Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories.

Speaking at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations 51st Leadership Mission to Israel in Jerusalem, Sa’ar said, “Over the past weekend, at least five European foreign ministers sharply criticized Albanese and called on her to resign.

“She is antisemitic. Immediately—from the Palestinian Authority to Hamas, and also within the core of the antisemitic left—people rushed to defend her. Their motives are clear. I believe we must be on the offensive, not on the defensive. We must delegitimize those who delegitimize us,” he said.

On Feb. 7, speaking during a video address to the 17th Al Jazeera Forum in Qatar, Albanese referred to Israel as humanity’s “common enemy.”

She accused Israel of “the planning and making of a genocide,” and descended into antisemitic tropes, suggesting that the world is under either Jewish or Israeli control. “It’s also true that never before the global community has seen the challenges that we all face, we who do not control large amounts of financial [capital], algorithms and weapons,” Albanese said.

After her remarks, top diplomats in Austria, Germany and Italy called for her resignation. In recent days, France has also said that she should be dismissed.

The United Nations continues to defend Albanese, Reuters reported. Following the criticism, U.N. Human Rights Office spokesperson Marta Hurtado told press on Feb. 13, “We are concerned that U.N. officials, independent experts and judicial officials, are increasingly subjected to personal attacks, threats and misinformation that distracts from the serious human rights issue.”


Trump says Board of Peace pledged $5 billion for Gaza, commits troops
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that members of his Board of Peace “have pledged more than $5 billion dollars toward the Gaza humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, and have committed thousands of personnel to the International Stabilization Force and local police to maintain security and peace for Gaza.”

However, “very importantly,” Hamas terrorists must uphold their “commitment to full and immediate demilitarization,” he added.

Several top Hamas leaders, including Khaled Mashaal and Musa Abu Marzouk, have rejected key parts of the peace plan in recent weeks, including disarmament, despite having agreed to it in October 2025.

Trump in his Truth Social post confirmed that the Board of Peace would be meeting for the first time on Thursday, at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., following a Jan. 22 signing ceremony in Switzerland.

“Just last month, two dozen distinguished founding members joined me in Davos, Switzerland, to celebrate its official formation, and present a bold vision for the civilians in Gaza, and then, ultimately, far beyond Gaza—world peace!” the president wrote in the social media post.

The disarmament of Hamas and all other Palestinian terrorist groups is a precondition for the reconstruction of Gaza, the Board of Peace’s high representative for the Strip, Nickolay Mladenov, emphasized on Friday.

“Gaza needs to be governed by a transitional authority, as authorized by the Security Council resolution, under which it needs to take on the full civilian and security control of Gaza,” Mladenov said during a panel discussion at the annual Munich Security Conference.

“That includes the disarmament of all factions in Gaza, not just Hamas,” he said. “Hamas, Islamic Jihad, others—there are plenty of them who have weapons and tunnels and production facilities inside Gaza.”

The main risk is that “we’re not going to implement the second phase of the ceasefire, but instead we’re going to move to the second phase of the war,” he said, calling it “a serious threat to the situation on the ground.”

“If Gaza returns to war, there’s no place for the Board of Peace—there’s no place for any of us, until we see what is left and potentially pick up the rubble at the end of it,” Mladenov warned.
Top Netanyahu aide: Hamas will have 60 days to disarm or IDF will ‘complete’ mission
Israel plans to afford Hamas a 60-day period to disarm, and if it does not, the Israeli military will go back to war in the Gaza Strip, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.

Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs made the statement a day after the premier asserted that the terror group must give up its small arms as part of the disarmament process, including its AK-47 rifles — after some reports that the terror group might be allowed to hold onto its rifles for now.

Speaking in Jerusalem to the Besheva Group conference, Fuchs said that the Trump Administration had asked for a 60-day period, and “we are respecting that.”

Fuchs clarified that he is unsure when the 60-day period starts, but it may begin with Thursday’s Board of Peace conference.

During that time, Hamas “will have to give up all of its weapons,” including rifles, he said, asserting that the terror group’s AK-47s “will be taken from them entirely.”

“We will evaluate it,” he said. “If it works, great. If not, then the IDF will have to complete the mission.”

He added that it was a “reasonable estimate” that before Israel’s next election — which is currently set for October but could be moved up to June — either Hamas will have given up its weapons or the IDF will be in the midst of an intensive new military campaign in Gaza.

Fuchs said there were many Gaza tunnels that also needed to be destroyed as part of the process.

“Today, whoever plows the fields in Be’eri sees the sea,” he says of the Gaza border kibbutz invaded and brutalized by Hamas on October 7, 2023. “There is barely a building left standing in the Gaza Strip, but the work is not yet completed.”

A day earlier, Netanyahu said that disarmament means Hamas “must give up its weapons, not [just] its main weapons,” asserting that “the one that does the most damage is called an AK-47.”

“That’s what they used in the massacre of October 7,” the prime minister said, adding that the group still holds some 60,000 rifles in Gaza.
IDF: Hamas used emojis as code for launching Oct. 7 assault
The Hamas terrorist organization used a sequence of emojis as a code name for launching the Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border massacre, the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Censor allowed for publication on Monday.

According to Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster, the emoticons were found on phones belonging to operatives of Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force that spearheaded the deadliest single-day slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

The IDF concluded that the same sequence of emojis had been used ahead of two failed large-scale attacks by the Islamist terrorist group in September 2022 and April 2023, Channel 12 reported.

The emojis signaled to the Nukhba terrorists to switch to Israeli SIM cards ahead of the invasion, according to the Ynet site.

At 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 7, Israeli intelligence noticed that dozens of Israeli SIM cards were activated in Gaza, but the activity was disregarded by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), local media reported last year.

It was not the first such activation. One took place the previous night, on Friday evening at around 9 o’clock. (By Wednesday, Oct. 5, some 45 communication devices of Gaza terrorists had also been activated.)

An intelligence summary by the Shin Bet southern region sent to a group of intelligence and political officials dismissed the activity.

“Today and yesterday, there were SIMs in certain areas of Gaza. This is not unusual, since similar tests were carried out by Hamas last year as well,” the summary reportedly stated.

“According to the division and the command [leadership], Hamas has not changed its routine. The information is preliminary and there are routine activities in Hamas. A discussion on the matter will be held by the [IDF] Southern Command Intelligence Officer at 08:30 and by the Southern Command heads at 10:00,” the Shin Bet added.


Haviv and Hugh discuss Hollywood, Gaza, the Haredim in Israel, and anti-Semitism past and present

Amb. Waltz on the Munich Conference, POTUS peace plan for Gaza, and the snapback sanctions on Iran

Dr. Oren joined Hugh to update what he understands the timetables for Iran and Gaza are

SBS rejects short film on antisemitism in Bondi
Sky News host Sharri Markson says the SBS has rejected a short film about antisemitism in Bondi.

“The public broadcaster SBS has rejected a short film about antisemitism in Bondi,” Ms Markson said.

“Saying it was worried the content could be seen as inflammatory across some communities.”




NYC Health Department staffer wished Israelis were wiped off Earth in vile resurfaced X post: report
A veteran staffer of the New York City Health Department said he wished all Israelis were wiped off the Earth in a vile X post recently dug up.

“1 Israeli left in this world would be one too many!” Achmat Akkad, a community coordinator with the city’s Health Department since 2017, wrote on the social media platform about one year ago, according to the Jewish watchdog group Canary Mission.

In a November 10, 2021 deleted post, Akkad, 40, also said, “Jews that don’t support apartheid are safe. Zionists aren’t!”, according to screenshots taken by the group.

The alarming revelation comes after Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Department of Health faced a firestorm of criticism when staffers allegedly used taxpayers’ resources to launch a “global oppression” working group meeting that accused Israel of genocide.

There’ve been calls for city and even federal investigations of the Health Department over the controversy.

Akkad — who predates Mamdani — made other inflammatory statements about Israel in his archived and newly deleted X statements that were captured in screenshots and reshared by those calling out his hate.

“Israel exists by sacrificing the blood of Black and brown people as an offering to white supremacy,” he said in one of the posts under his handle @AchmatX.

In another post from a year ago, he said Zionists “are behind the attacks, far right parties being elected across the world, attacks on free speech, the wars in MENE, the dehumanization of Muslims, and increase in police power…”


The Tucker Carlson effect
If Israel becomes a non-disqualifying concern, something voters are willing to overlook, then candidates with hostile or extreme positions can advance without paying a political price. We have seen this dynamic elsewhere, where once-disqualifying views fade into the background amid louder populist appeals (witness the “affordability” campaign of Zohran Mamdani).

For Israel and for American Jewish communities, the implication is clear. It is no longer sufficient to ask whether “most Republicans support Israel” in the abstract. The more important question is whether that support is strong enough to influence voter behavior when faced with a charismatic populist who offers a trade-off: cultural combat at home in exchange for indifference or hostility toward Israel.

Our findings also suggest a strategic lesson. Research shows that appealing but flawed candidates can lose their aura when a single negative trait is clearly and repeatedly highlighted, a phenomenon known as the “horn effect.” This does not mean reckless attacks or caricature. It means honest, focused and consistent scrutiny that exposes the real consequences of a candidate’s views. Those who care about the future of the US-Israel relationship may need to confront popular figures early and directly, before favorable impressions harden.

There is good news in our data. Republican support for Israel has not collapsed, and younger Republicans are not uniformly anti-Israel or anti-Jewish. But there is also bad news. The psychological machinery that allows voters to ignore troubling positions is already operating, and it appears to be stronger among the rising generation.

The critical question is not whether Israel still matters to Republican voters in principle, but whether it will matter enough when it truly counts. The task is moving from the halo to the horns.


Ireland considers moving its home match against Israel abroad
Ireland may move its home match against Israel to another country, with the country’s football association and police reportedly seriously consulting on the possibility due to reported security concerns.

An Garda Síochána has reportedly expressed concerns about policing the fixture, which would likely take place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin if played in the country. As announced last week, Israel and Ireland are due to play each other in the UEFA Nations League as part of the group stages, with two matches between the national teams in the course of a week. Israel’s home fixtures are often played outside the country for security reasons, and the Israel vs Ireland match on 27 September will take place at a venue outside of Israel. The Irish football association is now considering whether the Ireland vs Israel match on 4 October should be played outside the country as well.

In the wake of the UEFA Nation’s League draw, the Irish football association announced almost immediately that they would fulfil the fixtures – incurring anger within Ireland from vocally anti-Israel sources who felt that the country should have refused to play Israel – despite what would have been extremely harsh consequences from UEFA.

Ireland is now arguably the most hostile European country for Israelis. In 2024, Israel shut its embassy in the country due to “the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government”. The Jewish community in the country has also suffered as a consequence, with the country’s chief rabbi, Yoni Wieder, noting that “political commentary in Ireland has been extremely one-sided and often anti-Israeli criticism has spilled over into antisemitism.”

In the meantime, a spokesperson for the Israeli FA said: “We are very happy with the draw and are only concerned with its professional aspects. They are challenging enough.


The backlash to Lebron James' praise of Israel is jarring, but predictable
For a few brief moments on Sunday night at the NBA All-Star festivities in Inglewood, California, the spotlight shifted from dunks and three-pointers to Israel.

What began as a straightforward basketball question about Deni Avdija quickly spiraled into a social media firestorm after LeBron James offered a simple message to Israeli fans – and was immediately attacked online for it.

Avdija, who made history as the first Israeli to appear in an NBA All-Star Game, was already a point of pride back home. The Portland forward’s breakout season earned him recognition among the league’s elite, and his presence at the 75th edition of the All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome marked another milestone for Israeli basketball.

During a pregame press conference, James was asked what message he had for fans in Israel and what he thought about Avdija’s season.

“I’ve been quoted on Deni already and what I thought about his season,” James said. “I believe he’s an All-Star – and he is an All-Star. He’s playing exceptional basketball, so that’s that.”

Lebron James was criticised online after praising Israel
Then came the line that triggered the backlash.

“If I have fans over there – I’ve never been there – I hope you’ve been following my career. I hope I inspire people over there to not only want to be great at sports but be better in general in life. Hopefully someday I could make it over there. Like I said, I’ve never been over there, but I heard nothing but great things.”


Spike Lee, Kyrie Irving wear pro-Palestinian outfits to NBA All-Star Game featuring first Israeli player
Some cultural events featuring prominent Israelis since the start of the war in Gaza have been subject to anti-Israel demonstrations. There were no disruptions at the All-Star Game, but two prominent fans wore outfits designed to show pro-Palestinian solidarity.

The filmmaker Spike Lee wore a Palestinian flag-inspired outfit, with a keffiyeh-patterned sweater and flag badges on his bag strap.

The basketball player Kyrie Irving, meanwhile, wore a T-shirt that said “PRESS” on the front. The shirt, produced by the company Wear the Peace, says inside that it is “dedicated to our beloved journalists in Gaza showing the world the truth.” Irving had previously worn the shirt to another NBA game.

Irving, who was not playing in the All-Star Game, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks from the Brooklyn Nets in 2023 shortly after promoting an antisemitic film on his Twitter account and at first refusing to apologize for the tweet.


Pro-Palestine Groups Mount Coordinated Campaign Targeting Canadian Jewish Summer Camps
A coalition of five Canadian pro-Palestine organizations has launched a coordinated campaign pressuring provincial camping associations to revoke accreditation from at least 17 Jewish-affiliated overnight summer camps across Canada. The campaign, which employs activist letters and social media mobilization, specifically targets camps that host or employ Israeli military veterans. The coalition's member organizations maintain documented connections to entities designated by Israel and sanctioned by the U.S. government. The Campaign and Coalition

The campaign, launched in mid-February 2026, involves Just Peace Advocates, the Canadian BDS Coalition, International BDS Addis, the Ontario Palestinian Rights Association (OPRA), the Palestinian Canadian Congress (PCC), and Palestinian & Jewish Unity (PAJU). The groups have publicly identified 17 overnight camps throughout Canada as supporting Israel “in some way,” characterizing the state as “genocidal” and “settler-colonial.”

The campaign directs supporters to send letters to leadership of the Quebec and Nova Scotia Camps Associations demanding they revoke accreditation for camps that hire, host, or support current or former Israeli military personnel. A separate action targets the Ontario Camps Association Board, urging pressure on the Executive Director over what the coalition describes as "anti-Palestinian racism and support for a genocidal military."

Background of a black and white photo of a bomb going off on a residential building in Gaza. Overlayed is a faint image of summer campers in matching teachers walking in a semi-formed line. Text reads: When children’s camps support a genocidal state, it’s time for a gigantic change. Read through to find out how the Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia Camps Associations are implicated, AND how to take action.

Jonathan Kuttab serves on the board of directors of Just Peace Advocates, the central organization coordinating the current summer camps campaign, and is co-founder of Al-Haq, an organization designated as a terrorist organization by Israel’s Ministry of Defense in October 2021 for operating on behalf of the PFLP. In September 2025, the U.S. government escalated enforcement, sanctioning Al-Haq as an entity engaged in coordinated efforts to investigate and prosecute Israeli nationals at the International Criminal Court.

Scholarly works examining the organizational history of Al-Haq have documented that many of the organization's early members and staff were members of designated or sanctioned terror groups including the PFLP, DFLP, and Hamas, operating throughout the West Bank and Gaza.

In a 2022 blog post, Kuttab confirmed his ongoing involvement with Al-Haq, recounting a visit to the organization's Ramallah headquarters where he met with Executive Director Shawan Jabbarin. Kuttab identified himself as remaining on the organization's General Assembly.

Kuttab also serves as President of the Board of the Holy Land Trust (HLT), which has documented ties to organizations designated by Israel. According to NGO Monitor, Holy Land Trust officials have participated in delegations with members of the designated terror organization DFLP and promoted campaigns in support of senior PFLP officials, including Khalida Jarrar.
Foreign Secretary defends Palestine Action ban after court rules it was unlawful
Yvette Cooper has defended her decision to ban Palestine Action as a terror group, after the High Court ruled the move was unlawful and “disproportionate”.

Ms Cooper, now the Foreign Secretary, proscribed the group in July last year when she was serving as home secretary.

On Friday, the High Court ruled against the Government’s ban after a challenge was brought by Palestine Action.

The judgment could have implications for thousands of people arrested for supporting the group at protests across the country.

The ban remains in place for now and Ms Cooper’s successor as Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has said she will appeal against the court’s decision.
Campaign Against Antisemitism: Can You Paralyse for Palestine?
Smashing a police officer’s back with a sledgehammer.

Calling for Jewish women to be raped.

Wielding a knife at a kosher supermarket.

You can get away with all of this in lawless Britain. That is, if you did it for Palestine.

Campaign Against Antisemitism is a volunteer-led, UK-based charity dedicated to countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law.




Pro-Palestine activist who harassed Matt Lucas at Tube station is 6'7 Corbyn-loving Islamic convert who goes by 'White British Muslim' online
This is the pro-Palestinian activist who followed and pestered Matt Lucas as he tried to leave the London Underground.

Thomas Abdullah Bourne, 39, a Islamic convert who uses the social media handle ‘White British Muslim’, approached the Jewish comedian, 51, over the weekend.

The clip shows the fundraising consultant from East London shouting ‘Free Palestine’ at the celebrity before continuing to harass him by asking 'you don't like what I'm wearing, do you?' - referring to his keffiyeh.

Mr Bourne has become a well-known face amongst pro-Palestinian protest groups in London, often being pictured at rallies and at one time with Jeremy Corbyn.

Following the Palestine Action ban last summer, which has since been ruled as unlawful, Mr Bourne vowed to continue the group's work.

Campaigning outside the Royal Courts of Justice as the ban was enforced in July, the protester said that he would ‘absolutely’ continue his support for the group, even if it became proscribed.

He said: ‘Absolutely, with all of my heart. I am sure everyone here would also. No one is listening to us and the government is proscribing them.’

After the clip of Mr Bourne accosting Mr Lucas went viral, he quickly deleted his Instagram accounts.




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