Mideast War blowback
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30 Aug 2024, 8:22 pm
University of Maryland grants permit for pro-Palestinian group’s campus rally on October 7
Quote:
Jewish campus groups and parents are criticizing a reported decision by the University of Maryland allowing a pro-Palestinian group to hold a rally on campus on October 7, the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel.
The permit was given to Students for Justice in Palestine, according to the campus Hillel and Jewish Student Union, who decried SJP on Instagram without criticizing the university directly.
“October 7 is a day of tragedy for the Jewish and Israeli community around the world. It is alarming to see that SJP has chosen this date, a day of Jewish mourning, to hold an event on campus,” the groups wrote Thursday on Instagram Stories.
They added, “While SJP followed university protocol in making this reservation, it is nevertheless condemnable that they did.” The Jewish groups also said their own October 7 memorial was in the works.
The SJP chapter confirmed to the Washington Post that it was planning an action on McKeldin Mall, the College Park campus’s main green, for October 7. The university declined to comment by press time on Friday.
Rabbi Ari Israel, director of Maryland Hillel, told the conservative news outlet The Daily Wire he expressed concern about the event to university leadership. Local Jewish leaders and parents say they fear that the rally might glorify the killing of 1,200 Israelis, a stance that other SJP chapters have taken over the past year.
“Any effort to celebrate the death of 1,200 members of our community on October 7, 2023, even within the context of celebrating ‘freedom fighters,’ ‘martyrs,’ etc., will be taken by the UMD Jewish community as a direct threat to the safety of the Jewish community at UMD,” reads an open letter to the school’s senior leadership currently circulating among Jewish parents and faculty.
This week, the university’s SJP chapter this week mounted a flag display on campus commemorating the victims of Israel’s war in Gaza. The school’s recently reformed Jewish Voice for Peace chapter attended the event. The display claimed Israel had killed upwards of 150,000 people in Gaza.
A right to assemble?
“To be clear, we are not asking that SJP be denied their right to assemble. But we cannot abide an event that demonizes our community, applies a double standard to our community that is not used with any other group, or calls for the destruction of our community,” the letter continues.
The letter also details other kinds of speech that, its authors say, “would contribute toward a hostile environment for the Jewish community on campus going forward.” Among the listed items: calls for “intifada”; use of the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”; any accusations that Israel is committing genocide; any claim Israel is an apartheid state; and any recitation of a Gaza death toll number “that is not agreed to by the US State Department
The permit was given to Students for Justice in Palestine, according to the campus Hillel and Jewish Student Union, who decried SJP on Instagram without criticizing the university directly.
“October 7 is a day of tragedy for the Jewish and Israeli community around the world. It is alarming to see that SJP has chosen this date, a day of Jewish mourning, to hold an event on campus,” the groups wrote Thursday on Instagram Stories.
They added, “While SJP followed university protocol in making this reservation, it is nevertheless condemnable that they did.” The Jewish groups also said their own October 7 memorial was in the works.
The SJP chapter confirmed to the Washington Post that it was planning an action on McKeldin Mall, the College Park campus’s main green, for October 7. The university declined to comment by press time on Friday.
Rabbi Ari Israel, director of Maryland Hillel, told the conservative news outlet The Daily Wire he expressed concern about the event to university leadership. Local Jewish leaders and parents say they fear that the rally might glorify the killing of 1,200 Israelis, a stance that other SJP chapters have taken over the past year.
“Any effort to celebrate the death of 1,200 members of our community on October 7, 2023, even within the context of celebrating ‘freedom fighters,’ ‘martyrs,’ etc., will be taken by the UMD Jewish community as a direct threat to the safety of the Jewish community at UMD,” reads an open letter to the school’s senior leadership currently circulating among Jewish parents and faculty.
This week, the university’s SJP chapter this week mounted a flag display on campus commemorating the victims of Israel’s war in Gaza. The school’s recently reformed Jewish Voice for Peace chapter attended the event. The display claimed Israel had killed upwards of 150,000 people in Gaza.
A right to assemble?
“To be clear, we are not asking that SJP be denied their right to assemble. But we cannot abide an event that demonizes our community, applies a double standard to our community that is not used with any other group, or calls for the destruction of our community,” the letter continues.
The letter also details other kinds of speech that, its authors say, “would contribute toward a hostile environment for the Jewish community on campus going forward.” Among the listed items: calls for “intifada”; use of the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”; any accusations that Israel is committing genocide; any claim Israel is an apartheid state; and any recitation of a Gaza death toll number “that is not agreed to by the US State Department
Columbia antisemitism task force reports ‘crushing’ discrimination against Jewish, Israeli students
Quote:
Jewish students at Columbia University have been driven out of their dorm rooms, chased off campus, compelled to hide their Jewish identity, ostracized by their peers and denigrated by faculty, according to a report released Friday by the university’s Task Force on Antisemitism.
The report, the second one released by the investigatory body made up of faculty, illustrated the breadth of anti-Jewish discrimination at the Ivy League campus. It also said that pervasive antisemitism on campus has “affected the entire university community.”
The task force also created its own definition of antisemitism, short-circuiting a combative debate over differing definitions created by varying coalitions and undercutting criticism that it had previously faced. The definition calls antisemitism “prejudice, discrimination, hate, or violence directed at Jews, including Jewish Israelis” but does not mention Zionism, a wedge in the broader debate, explicitly.
To compile the report, released just hours before the start of the Labor Day long weekend, the task force held listening sessions with close to 500 students last school year. The students testified about their experience around the campus, including in dorms, on social media, at student organizations and in class. They reported a pattern of discrimination that affected their social lives, studies and mental health.
“After October 7, numerous students reported that they no longer felt safe,” the report reads. “One student who had moved into her dorm room in September, told us she placed a mezuzah on her doorway as required by ritual law, as traditional Jews have done for centuries. In October, people began banging on her door at all hours of the night, demanding she explain Israel’s actions. She was forced to move out of the dorm.”
The report also details dozens of other antisemitic anecdotes and incidents on campus, including students wearing kippahs who were spit on and berated, a Jewish woman and her brother who were chased off campus at night, and classmates wearing keffiyehs who shoved Jewish students and shouted, “We don’t want no Zionists here.”
Other incidents mentioned in the report include jokes about Adolf Hitler that were scrawled onto communal whiteboards in the dorms and a professor who called Jewish donors “white capitalists” guilty of dealing in “blood money” and referred to “so-called Israel” in a classroom exercise. Israeli students were “singled out for particularly terrible treatment,” according to the report.
“We heard about crushing encounters that have crippled students’ academic achievement. We heard about students being avoided and avoiding others, about exclusion from clubs and activities, isolation and even intimidation,” the task force said in the report.
Friday’s report further detailed antisemitism on campus and issued recommendations for structural changes at the university. The task force recommended anti-bias and inclusion training for students and faculty, workshops about antisemitism and Islamophobia, and trainings in dispute resolution. The university should also establish a committee that links Columbia’s different schools to share information and coordinate trainings, the report said.
Other recommendations included restructuring the procedures for reporting discrimination, ensuring that student groups comply with anti-discrimination laws, and implementing customized training for incoming students.
The task force also lashed the university administration, saying the Jewish students’ testimonies “have made clear that the University community has not treated them with the standards of civility, respect, and fairness it promises to all its students.”
Jewish students' reports get brushed aside
Students who reported antisemitic hostility to faculty were sometimes brushed aside, according to the report. Some Jewish students who reported discrimination to administrators were referred to counseling “which they correctly understood” meant that they needed to accept antisemitism, the report said.
The task force is recommending the use of its antisemitism definition, which says the prejudice can manifest in ethnic slurs or caricatures; stereotypes or antisemitic tropes; Holocaust denial; targeting Jews or Israelis for violence or celebrating violence against them; discrimination based on Jewish identity or ties to Israel; and double standards applied to Israel.
Although the task force’s definition does not directly mention Zionism, the report notes that “Zionists” were often targeted and reported a “slippage that sometimes felt intentional” between the terms Zionist and Jew. New York University last week issued new hate speech guidelines that said students or faculty who target “Zionists” could be violating campus policy.
“Anti-Zionism, as it has been expressed in campus demonstrations during the past academic year, hews far more closely to antisemitism than to a simple critique of Israel,” the Columbia report said, adding that some anti-Zionist rhetoric, such as stickers that accused “Zionist donors” of controlling the university, echoed traditional antisemitic tropes.
“There is an urgent need to reshape everyday social norms across the campuses of Columbia University,” the task force said. “But we are a long way from there. The problems we found are serious and pervasive.”
In addition to pressure from Jewish students and alumni to take action against antisemitism, Columbia faces investigations by Congress and the Biden administration.
The report, the second one released by the investigatory body made up of faculty, illustrated the breadth of anti-Jewish discrimination at the Ivy League campus. It also said that pervasive antisemitism on campus has “affected the entire university community.”
The task force also created its own definition of antisemitism, short-circuiting a combative debate over differing definitions created by varying coalitions and undercutting criticism that it had previously faced. The definition calls antisemitism “prejudice, discrimination, hate, or violence directed at Jews, including Jewish Israelis” but does not mention Zionism, a wedge in the broader debate, explicitly.
To compile the report, released just hours before the start of the Labor Day long weekend, the task force held listening sessions with close to 500 students last school year. The students testified about their experience around the campus, including in dorms, on social media, at student organizations and in class. They reported a pattern of discrimination that affected their social lives, studies and mental health.
“After October 7, numerous students reported that they no longer felt safe,” the report reads. “One student who had moved into her dorm room in September, told us she placed a mezuzah on her doorway as required by ritual law, as traditional Jews have done for centuries. In October, people began banging on her door at all hours of the night, demanding she explain Israel’s actions. She was forced to move out of the dorm.”
The report also details dozens of other antisemitic anecdotes and incidents on campus, including students wearing kippahs who were spit on and berated, a Jewish woman and her brother who were chased off campus at night, and classmates wearing keffiyehs who shoved Jewish students and shouted, “We don’t want no Zionists here.”
Other incidents mentioned in the report include jokes about Adolf Hitler that were scrawled onto communal whiteboards in the dorms and a professor who called Jewish donors “white capitalists” guilty of dealing in “blood money” and referred to “so-called Israel” in a classroom exercise. Israeli students were “singled out for particularly terrible treatment,” according to the report.
“We heard about crushing encounters that have crippled students’ academic achievement. We heard about students being avoided and avoiding others, about exclusion from clubs and activities, isolation and even intimidation,” the task force said in the report.
Friday’s report further detailed antisemitism on campus and issued recommendations for structural changes at the university. The task force recommended anti-bias and inclusion training for students and faculty, workshops about antisemitism and Islamophobia, and trainings in dispute resolution. The university should also establish a committee that links Columbia’s different schools to share information and coordinate trainings, the report said.
Other recommendations included restructuring the procedures for reporting discrimination, ensuring that student groups comply with anti-discrimination laws, and implementing customized training for incoming students.
The task force also lashed the university administration, saying the Jewish students’ testimonies “have made clear that the University community has not treated them with the standards of civility, respect, and fairness it promises to all its students.”
Jewish students' reports get brushed aside
Students who reported antisemitic hostility to faculty were sometimes brushed aside, according to the report. Some Jewish students who reported discrimination to administrators were referred to counseling “which they correctly understood” meant that they needed to accept antisemitism, the report said.
The task force is recommending the use of its antisemitism definition, which says the prejudice can manifest in ethnic slurs or caricatures; stereotypes or antisemitic tropes; Holocaust denial; targeting Jews or Israelis for violence or celebrating violence against them; discrimination based on Jewish identity or ties to Israel; and double standards applied to Israel.
Although the task force’s definition does not directly mention Zionism, the report notes that “Zionists” were often targeted and reported a “slippage that sometimes felt intentional” between the terms Zionist and Jew. New York University last week issued new hate speech guidelines that said students or faculty who target “Zionists” could be violating campus policy.
“Anti-Zionism, as it has been expressed in campus demonstrations during the past academic year, hews far more closely to antisemitism than to a simple critique of Israel,” the Columbia report said, adding that some anti-Zionist rhetoric, such as stickers that accused “Zionist donors” of controlling the university, echoed traditional antisemitic tropes.
“There is an urgent need to reshape everyday social norms across the campuses of Columbia University,” the task force said. “But we are a long way from there. The problems we found are serious and pervasive.”
In addition to pressure from Jewish students and alumni to take action against antisemitism, Columbia faces investigations by Congress and the Biden administration.
_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,441
Location: Long Island, New York
31 Aug 2024, 9:32 am
San Francisco State University divests from arms makers in deal with pro-Palestinian students
Quote:
Students for Gaza SFSU announced Thursday that San Francisco State University has pulled investments from three companies the university claims do not meet its human rights standards following demonstrations from pro-Palestinian activists and groups.
In the agreement reached with students, the university will sell its corporate bond position in aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin, stock positions in Italian defense company Leonardo, and U.S.-based data analysis enterprise Palantir Technologies.
The move shifted SFSU’s $163 million investment portfolio after pro-Palestinian student protesters made headways in meeting with university leaders to discuss demands. The university became the first in the county to hold public negotiations with students.
Students at the university camped out and protested for three weeks in a nationwide call for universities to disclose and divest from what they categorized as companies profiting from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and the war in Gaza.
“Through the work of the many students involved in GUPS (General Union of Palestine Students) at SFSU and SFG (Students for Gaza), we have been able to successfully ensure our money is not funding GENOCIDE ‼️” read an Aug. 27 announcement on Instagram by Students for Gaza at San Francisco State.
The university also screened construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar. The company has come under scrutiny by groups advocating divestment from Israel. Many groups claim that the company’s heavy equipment has been turned and used as weapons by the Israeli government in Palestinian territory.
Students for Gaza SFSU proposed a revision to the university’s investment policy where its investment arm, SF State Foundation, will “strive not to invest in companies that consistently, knowingly and directly facilitate or enable severe violations of international law and human rights.” The agreement reached also said the foundation will not invest in arms makers.
The proposed policy change is slated for a final vote in December.
The SF State Foundation raises private funding and manages SFSU’s endowment. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the foundation’s endowment spent close to $9 million across the university, according to records from the California State University system.
This is not the first time the SF State Foundation has revised its investment criteria.
In 2013, the foundation limited its direct investment in coal and tar sands amid feedback from student activists
In the agreement reached with students, the university will sell its corporate bond position in aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin, stock positions in Italian defense company Leonardo, and U.S.-based data analysis enterprise Palantir Technologies.
The move shifted SFSU’s $163 million investment portfolio after pro-Palestinian student protesters made headways in meeting with university leaders to discuss demands. The university became the first in the county to hold public negotiations with students.
Students at the university camped out and protested for three weeks in a nationwide call for universities to disclose and divest from what they categorized as companies profiting from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and the war in Gaza.
“Through the work of the many students involved in GUPS (General Union of Palestine Students) at SFSU and SFG (Students for Gaza), we have been able to successfully ensure our money is not funding GENOCIDE ‼️” read an Aug. 27 announcement on Instagram by Students for Gaza at San Francisco State.
The university also screened construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar. The company has come under scrutiny by groups advocating divestment from Israel. Many groups claim that the company’s heavy equipment has been turned and used as weapons by the Israeli government in Palestinian territory.
Students for Gaza SFSU proposed a revision to the university’s investment policy where its investment arm, SF State Foundation, will “strive not to invest in companies that consistently, knowingly and directly facilitate or enable severe violations of international law and human rights.” The agreement reached also said the foundation will not invest in arms makers.
The proposed policy change is slated for a final vote in December.
The SF State Foundation raises private funding and manages SFSU’s endowment. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the foundation’s endowment spent close to $9 million across the university, according to records from the California State University system.
This is not the first time the SF State Foundation has revised its investment criteria.
In 2013, the foundation limited its direct investment in coal and tar sands amid feedback from student activists
_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,441
Location: Long Island, New York
01 Sep 2024, 11:20 am
Columbia University admits pro-Israel ‘chemical attack’ was fart spray
Quote:
While anti-Israel activists have long said that they had been attacked with military-grade chemical weapons, Columbia University said that a pro-Israel student had used novelty fart spray.
An alleged chemical attack on anti-Israel student activists was actually a novelty far spray, Columbia University announced on Friday.
The university said that the “foul-smelling substance” sprayed by a pro-Israel activist during a January 19 demonstration was "not any bio-chemical weapon, illicit substance or personal protective spray. Rather, the substance sprayed was a non-toxic, legal, novelty item that can be purchased online and in stores throughout the country."
We hope that this is a step forward in the long healing process for our community," continued Columbia University.
An activist identified on social media as "Layla" who claimed to have been sprayed in the incident said Friday that the university was lying about the incident, assuring that the New York Police Department told her that “law enforcement grade chemicals" had been utilized.
The activist had claimed after the incident that Skunk, an Israeli anti-riot spray, had been used on Pro-Palestinian students. In February, she said she was "still dealing with symptoms, I feel sick all the time" and that "15 students had to go to the hospital."
In April the pro-Israel student who had been suspended for the foul incident filed a lawsuit against the university for disparate and harsh treatment.
So-called "chemical warfare"
The filing claimed that the student had sprayed "novelty, non-toxic ‘fart’ spray named ‘Liquid Ass’ and ‘Wet Farts' into the air at the anti-Israel protest.
In the months following the incident, anti-Israel activists had frequently referred to the incident and supposed “chemical warfare” attack in online protest advertisements and activist materials.
An alleged chemical attack on anti-Israel student activists was actually a novelty far spray, Columbia University announced on Friday.
The university said that the “foul-smelling substance” sprayed by a pro-Israel activist during a January 19 demonstration was "not any bio-chemical weapon, illicit substance or personal protective spray. Rather, the substance sprayed was a non-toxic, legal, novelty item that can be purchased online and in stores throughout the country."
We hope that this is a step forward in the long healing process for our community," continued Columbia University.
An activist identified on social media as "Layla" who claimed to have been sprayed in the incident said Friday that the university was lying about the incident, assuring that the New York Police Department told her that “law enforcement grade chemicals" had been utilized.
The activist had claimed after the incident that Skunk, an Israeli anti-riot spray, had been used on Pro-Palestinian students. In February, she said she was "still dealing with symptoms, I feel sick all the time" and that "15 students had to go to the hospital."
In April the pro-Israel student who had been suspended for the foul incident filed a lawsuit against the university for disparate and harsh treatment.
So-called "chemical warfare"
The filing claimed that the student had sprayed "novelty, non-toxic ‘fart’ spray named ‘Liquid Ass’ and ‘Wet Farts' into the air at the anti-Israel protest.
In the months following the incident, anti-Israel activists had frequently referred to the incident and supposed “chemical warfare” attack in online protest advertisements and activist materials.
_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,441
Location: Long Island, New York
01 Sep 2024, 8:36 pm
Democrats urge Israel-Hamas ceasefire after dead hostages recovered
Quote:
Several US Democratic lawmakers renewed calls for an Israeli-Hamas ceasefire on Sunday in reaction to the killing of six hostages in a tunnel under Gaza, while Republicans criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for not giving stronger support to Israel.
Israel recovered the bodies of six hostages from a tunnel in Gaza where they were apparently killed shortly before its troops reached them, triggering Israeli protests on Sunday and planned strikes over the failure to save them.
The military said the bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is an Israeli-American citizen, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino have been returned to Israel.
US President Joe Biden spoke with Goldberg-Polin's parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, who appeared at the Democratic National Convention last month, to offer condolences, a White House official said.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a virtual meeting on Sunday with the families of the American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Democratic US Senator Dick Durbin said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he was "heartbroken and devastated" by the news of Goldberg-Polin's death, echoing sentiments of other US officials and lawmakers.
"A ceasefire must be reached immediately that allows all remaining hostages to be released, humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, and an elusive and neglected long-term vision for peace and stability to become a reality," said Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son Sagui is another hostage with American citizenship, said the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to engage in negotiations with Hamas to bring hostages home and time was running out.
Blaming Biden
Republican lawmakers on Sunday did not urge a stronger push for ceasefire negotiations, with some blaming the Biden-Harris administration for not supporting Israel strongly enough.
"They continue to encourage and embolden Hamas," with calls for a ceasefire, said Republican Senator Tom Cotton.
Asked what Netanyahu's government should do in the face of growing protests in Israel, Cotton said: "I would urge him to finish the job against Hamas, which is exactly what Kamala Harris and Joe Biden should have done from the very beginning."
In a statement released by the White House just before midnight on Saturday, Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, did not call for a ceasefire and condemned Hamas for the deaths.
"Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas' continued brutality, and so must the entire world," Harris said.
Harris later posted on X that she and her husband Doug Emhoff spoke to Goldberg-Polin's parents "to express our condolences following the brutal murder of their son by Hamas terrorists."
Republican senator Lindsey Graham called for more pressure on Iran, Hamas' main sponsor, telling ABC's "This Week" that the Biden administration and Israel "should hold Iran accountable for the fate of remaining hostages and put on the target list oil refineries in Iran if the hostages are not released."
Israel recovered the bodies of six hostages from a tunnel in Gaza where they were apparently killed shortly before its troops reached them, triggering Israeli protests on Sunday and planned strikes over the failure to save them.
The military said the bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is an Israeli-American citizen, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino have been returned to Israel.
US President Joe Biden spoke with Goldberg-Polin's parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, who appeared at the Democratic National Convention last month, to offer condolences, a White House official said.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a virtual meeting on Sunday with the families of the American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Democratic US Senator Dick Durbin said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he was "heartbroken and devastated" by the news of Goldberg-Polin's death, echoing sentiments of other US officials and lawmakers.
"A ceasefire must be reached immediately that allows all remaining hostages to be released, humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, and an elusive and neglected long-term vision for peace and stability to become a reality," said Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son Sagui is another hostage with American citizenship, said the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to engage in negotiations with Hamas to bring hostages home and time was running out.
Blaming Biden
Republican lawmakers on Sunday did not urge a stronger push for ceasefire negotiations, with some blaming the Biden-Harris administration for not supporting Israel strongly enough.
"They continue to encourage and embolden Hamas," with calls for a ceasefire, said Republican Senator Tom Cotton.
Asked what Netanyahu's government should do in the face of growing protests in Israel, Cotton said: "I would urge him to finish the job against Hamas, which is exactly what Kamala Harris and Joe Biden should have done from the very beginning."
In a statement released by the White House just before midnight on Saturday, Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, did not call for a ceasefire and condemned Hamas for the deaths.
"Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas' continued brutality, and so must the entire world," Harris said.
Harris later posted on X that she and her husband Doug Emhoff spoke to Goldberg-Polin's parents "to express our condolences following the brutal murder of their son by Hamas terrorists."
Republican senator Lindsey Graham called for more pressure on Iran, Hamas' main sponsor, telling ABC's "This Week" that the Biden administration and Israel "should hold Iran accountable for the fate of remaining hostages and put on the target list oil refineries in Iran if the hostages are not released."
Trump slams Harris, Biden over hostage deaths in Gaza: ‘They have blood on their hands!’
Quote:
Donald Trump on Sunday slammed President Biden and Veep Kamala Harris for the recent deaths of six Hamas hostages, blaming the horrific loss on the Dem pair’s “poor” leadership.
After the Israeli military confirmed the deaths of US-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five others in Gaza on Saturday, Trump took to Truth Social to criticize his political rivals, claiming that he could have secured the safety of the hostages if he were still president.
“Make no mistake – This happened because Comrade Kamala Harris and Crooked Joe Biden are poor Leaders,” the GOP presidential candidate wrote.
“They have blood on their hands!” he added. “…Our Country and our amazing people are not safe under Joe Biden, and will be less safe under Kamala Harris.
“This terror would have never happened if I were President, and it will stop the day I am back in the Oval Office. America will be Strong Again, and that will make the World Safe and Secure!”
After the Israeli military confirmed the deaths of US-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five others in Gaza on Saturday, Trump took to Truth Social to criticize his political rivals, claiming that he could have secured the safety of the hostages if he were still president.
“Make no mistake – This happened because Comrade Kamala Harris and Crooked Joe Biden are poor Leaders,” the GOP presidential candidate wrote.
“They have blood on their hands!” he added. “…Our Country and our amazing people are not safe under Joe Biden, and will be less safe under Kamala Harris.
“This terror would have never happened if I were President, and it will stop the day I am back in the Oval Office. America will be Strong Again, and that will make the World Safe and Secure!”
Family of US-Israeli hostages still in Gaza demand Netanyahu push for cease-fire deal after captives found dead
Quote:
The families of American-Israeli hostages in Gaza demanded Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu push harder for a cease-fire deal with Hamas after the deaths of six more captives.
Dual US-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin was among the hostages found dead in Rafah on Saturday, and Hamas is believed to still be holding four living Americans and three who have perished.
“The tragic murder of Hersh, just months after we all saw his face in a hostage video released by Hamas, is nothing short of vicious and senseless,” the families said in a joint statement.
“It is more proof that Hamas is killing hostages in captivity,” they said. “And it is a cruel reminder that with each passing day, the chances of bringing anyone home alive are at grave risk.
“For the last 331 days, we warned that this could happen. Enough is enough.”
Dozens of hostage supporters also gathered near the corner of Second Avenue and East 42nd Street in Manhattan on Sunday to hold a memorial service for the six victims.
The impromptu event was meant to be held on the grounds of the nearby Israeli Consulate building, but organizers told The Post that Israeli officials did not let them to gather there Sunday. Larger planned services have been allowed on the property.
Stephanie Benshimol, one of the organizers, said everyone was heartbroken over the news of the deaths as the group called for all the hostages to be freed.
“It’s very, very sad, because they’re young and they were supposed to come home,” Benshimol said.
“They’re all suffering, and when they suffer, we suffer, and we want everyone home now: the dead bodies for proper burial and the alive bodies to come home to their family,” she added.
The event drew some anti-Israeli hecklers who shouted, “From the river to the sea!” at the group of mourners, with police called on to intervene in a clash between two men and the memorial attendees.
Dual US-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin was among the hostages found dead in Rafah on Saturday, and Hamas is believed to still be holding four living Americans and three who have perished.
“The tragic murder of Hersh, just months after we all saw his face in a hostage video released by Hamas, is nothing short of vicious and senseless,” the families said in a joint statement.
“It is more proof that Hamas is killing hostages in captivity,” they said. “And it is a cruel reminder that with each passing day, the chances of bringing anyone home alive are at grave risk.
“For the last 331 days, we warned that this could happen. Enough is enough.”
Dozens of hostage supporters also gathered near the corner of Second Avenue and East 42nd Street in Manhattan on Sunday to hold a memorial service for the six victims.
The impromptu event was meant to be held on the grounds of the nearby Israeli Consulate building, but organizers told The Post that Israeli officials did not let them to gather there Sunday. Larger planned services have been allowed on the property.
Stephanie Benshimol, one of the organizers, said everyone was heartbroken over the news of the deaths as the group called for all the hostages to be freed.
“It’s very, very sad, because they’re young and they were supposed to come home,” Benshimol said.
“They’re all suffering, and when they suffer, we suffer, and we want everyone home now: the dead bodies for proper burial and the alive bodies to come home to their family,” she added.
The event drew some anti-Israeli hecklers who shouted, “From the river to the sea!” at the group of mourners, with police called on to intervene in a clash between two men and the memorial attendees.
_________________
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03 Sep 2024, 12:16 am
How anti-Israel protests are costing companies billions of dollars
Quote:
Java-chip Frappuccinos. Mango dragon-fruit refreshers. Iced white-chocolate mochas.
Sydney-based food blogger Walla Abu-Eid has amassed a massive Instagram audience by posting viral recipe videos of homemade Starbucks staples to her 240,000 followers.
The goal is not to save money by making your own delectable beverages but to steer clear of western brands that, according to Abu-Eid, support Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Boycott Starbucks for supporting the genocide in Gaza,” Abu-Eid instructs viewers in one clip from December 2023. “Starbucks has lost $11 billion globally from boycotts — let’s keep them going!”
These boycotts, stemming from a legal dispute the coffee chain had with a workers’ union over a pro-Palestine social-media post, have real-world impact.
In mid-August, Starbucks ousted Laxman Narasimhan as its chief executive a year-and-a-half into his role amid plummeting sales exacerbated by customer boycotts over Israel.
Starbucks shares had dropped 20% in 2024 by the time former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol was announced as the replacement.
In May, Starbucks reported a 15% drop in net income (to $772 million) compared to this time last year
Nowhere has Starbucks’ business been hurt more than in the Middle East, where it described in late January a “significant impact on traffic and sales.”
In March, Starbucks’ Middle Eastern franchisee, Alshaya Group, laid off more than 2,000 employees, or 4 percent of its workforce, as a result of the boycotts precipitating a sales downturn and “continually challenging trading conditions.”
In May, Starbucks’s Malaysia operation, run by Kuala Lumpur-based investment company Berjaya Food Berhad, reported a third consecutive fall in revenue across its 411 licensed stores, which it “attributed to an ongoing boycott,” recording an almost 50% revenue decline in the first quarter of the year.
On social media sites, lists have been circulating of brands that should be blacklisted for their support for Israel.
Especially in Muslim-majority countries like Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Pakistan, consumers have avoided supposed pro-Israel brands such as Coca-Cola, L’Oréal, KFC, Mcdonald’s and Pizza Hut — and the consumer boycott has taken a bite out of profits.
The Financial Times reported that Americana Restaurants — which operates big US food chains across the Middle East including KFC, Pizza Hut and Krispy Kreme — saw profits drop 40% in the second quarter of this year.
Earlier in 2024, McDonald’s reported its first quarterly sales miss in nearly four years, driven by a demand slump in stores in the Middle East and in Muslim-majority countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.
That trend continued into the burger chain’s second quarter earnings in July where CEO Chris Kempczinski noted that “we continue to be negatively impacted by the war in the Middle East,” where 5% of the company’s 40,000 stores are located.
McDonald’s sales were hurt further after the pro-Palestinian boycott, divestment, sanctions (BDS) movement called for a global boycott of the burger giant after McDonald’s Israel announced it would be giving away 100,000 free meals to Israeli security and rescue forces.
But the McDonald’s corporate headquarters distanced itself from the actions of its Israel business and blamed the boycott backlash on “misinformation.”
McDonald’s franchises in the Middle East went one step further, collectively pledging $3 million in support of Palestinians.
While global economic boycotts are unquestionably impacting corporate earnings, the precise, quantifiable numbers of those declines remain difficult to precisely measure among Wall Street analysts.
Boycotts are “very hard to verify or quantify, [but] it is definitely something that investors are thinking about these days,” said Danilo Gargiulo, a senior research analyst at investment firm AB Bernstein.
Gargiulo added that in most cases multinationals being thrust into the spotlight have sought to avoid lengthy comment to limit the noise around such boycotts. “The last thing you want to do is reveal the impact and potentially bring further action against their brands,” he said.
The current global economic boycott movement is unlike other boycott movements in terms of its scope and intensity
Typical bouts of consumer outrage and accompanying boycotts tend to be fleeting, Michael Barnett, a professor of management and global business at Rutgers Business School, told The Post.
“Public memory is usually short. New issues arise on an almost daily basis, crowding out concern for yesterday’s news. Old habits and cravings start to outweigh lingering concerns,” he said.
Barnett noted that the Israel boycotts could, in some geographies, permanently shift consumer habits.
Egypt, for instance, experienced this phenomenon first-hand following the boycott by the Arab League of Coca-Cola from 1967 to 1991 for building a manufacturing plant in neighboring Israel.
The boycott wave helped fuel the tremendous resurgence of Spiro Spathis, which was established in 1920 as Egypt’s first-ever soda beverage.
BDS critics accuse the movement of unfairly singling out Israel and, in turn, harming US brands that in one way or another conduct business with Israel.
Some US states have gone so far as to adopt anti-BDS laws that make boycotting Israel illegal, including Texas, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Colorado.
As the war in Gaza continues, many western brands in Middle Eastern markets with genuine (or apocryphal) ties to Israel expect business to flounder, or at best stall. “So long as this war is going on . . . we’re not expecting to see any significant improvement [in the Middle East markets] . . . It’s a human tragedy what’s going on and that does weigh on brands like ours,” McDonald’s CEO Kempczinski told investors in February.
Some experts like Anson Frericks, co-founder of Strive Asset Management, suggest that more time is needed in order to determine whether Israel boycotts have a material impact on the long-term cash flow of a brand doing business with Israel.
“I would want to see that there’s actually a trend that’s been happening for probably two or three quarters, he said, “before I would say that there’s actually been a success with this boycott.”
While the consumer boycott wave shows little sign of letting up, boardrooms and executives are also beginning to have discussions over the merits of doing business with Israel at the corporate level.
In May, Barclays’ annual shareholder meeting was disrupted by anti-Israel protesters. Then in August, the bank announced plans to withdraw from Israeli government bond auctions, in part due to sustained calls for a boycott of Barclays over its ties to Israel and the country’s defense suppliers.
Elsewhere at Amazon, a shareholder proposal filed for its 2024 proxy vote questioned the world’s largest retailer’s ties to the Jewish State, stating that among the government customers Amazon Web Services (AWS) serves is the Israeli government which “uses AWS to support the apartheid system under which Palestinians are surveilled, unlawfully detained and tortured.”
As the war in Gaza enters its second year next month, efforts to influence and infiltrate corporate governance systems are only likely to continue.
Sydney-based food blogger Walla Abu-Eid has amassed a massive Instagram audience by posting viral recipe videos of homemade Starbucks staples to her 240,000 followers.
The goal is not to save money by making your own delectable beverages but to steer clear of western brands that, according to Abu-Eid, support Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Boycott Starbucks for supporting the genocide in Gaza,” Abu-Eid instructs viewers in one clip from December 2023. “Starbucks has lost $11 billion globally from boycotts — let’s keep them going!”
These boycotts, stemming from a legal dispute the coffee chain had with a workers’ union over a pro-Palestine social-media post, have real-world impact.
In mid-August, Starbucks ousted Laxman Narasimhan as its chief executive a year-and-a-half into his role amid plummeting sales exacerbated by customer boycotts over Israel.
Starbucks shares had dropped 20% in 2024 by the time former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol was announced as the replacement.
In May, Starbucks reported a 15% drop in net income (to $772 million) compared to this time last year
Nowhere has Starbucks’ business been hurt more than in the Middle East, where it described in late January a “significant impact on traffic and sales.”
In March, Starbucks’ Middle Eastern franchisee, Alshaya Group, laid off more than 2,000 employees, or 4 percent of its workforce, as a result of the boycotts precipitating a sales downturn and “continually challenging trading conditions.”
In May, Starbucks’s Malaysia operation, run by Kuala Lumpur-based investment company Berjaya Food Berhad, reported a third consecutive fall in revenue across its 411 licensed stores, which it “attributed to an ongoing boycott,” recording an almost 50% revenue decline in the first quarter of the year.
On social media sites, lists have been circulating of brands that should be blacklisted for their support for Israel.
Especially in Muslim-majority countries like Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Pakistan, consumers have avoided supposed pro-Israel brands such as Coca-Cola, L’Oréal, KFC, Mcdonald’s and Pizza Hut — and the consumer boycott has taken a bite out of profits.
The Financial Times reported that Americana Restaurants — which operates big US food chains across the Middle East including KFC, Pizza Hut and Krispy Kreme — saw profits drop 40% in the second quarter of this year.
Earlier in 2024, McDonald’s reported its first quarterly sales miss in nearly four years, driven by a demand slump in stores in the Middle East and in Muslim-majority countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.
That trend continued into the burger chain’s second quarter earnings in July where CEO Chris Kempczinski noted that “we continue to be negatively impacted by the war in the Middle East,” where 5% of the company’s 40,000 stores are located.
McDonald’s sales were hurt further after the pro-Palestinian boycott, divestment, sanctions (BDS) movement called for a global boycott of the burger giant after McDonald’s Israel announced it would be giving away 100,000 free meals to Israeli security and rescue forces.
But the McDonald’s corporate headquarters distanced itself from the actions of its Israel business and blamed the boycott backlash on “misinformation.”
McDonald’s franchises in the Middle East went one step further, collectively pledging $3 million in support of Palestinians.
While global economic boycotts are unquestionably impacting corporate earnings, the precise, quantifiable numbers of those declines remain difficult to precisely measure among Wall Street analysts.
Boycotts are “very hard to verify or quantify, [but] it is definitely something that investors are thinking about these days,” said Danilo Gargiulo, a senior research analyst at investment firm AB Bernstein.
Gargiulo added that in most cases multinationals being thrust into the spotlight have sought to avoid lengthy comment to limit the noise around such boycotts. “The last thing you want to do is reveal the impact and potentially bring further action against their brands,” he said.
The current global economic boycott movement is unlike other boycott movements in terms of its scope and intensity
Typical bouts of consumer outrage and accompanying boycotts tend to be fleeting, Michael Barnett, a professor of management and global business at Rutgers Business School, told The Post.
“Public memory is usually short. New issues arise on an almost daily basis, crowding out concern for yesterday’s news. Old habits and cravings start to outweigh lingering concerns,” he said.
Barnett noted that the Israel boycotts could, in some geographies, permanently shift consumer habits.
Egypt, for instance, experienced this phenomenon first-hand following the boycott by the Arab League of Coca-Cola from 1967 to 1991 for building a manufacturing plant in neighboring Israel.
The boycott wave helped fuel the tremendous resurgence of Spiro Spathis, which was established in 1920 as Egypt’s first-ever soda beverage.
BDS critics accuse the movement of unfairly singling out Israel and, in turn, harming US brands that in one way or another conduct business with Israel.
Some US states have gone so far as to adopt anti-BDS laws that make boycotting Israel illegal, including Texas, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Colorado.
As the war in Gaza continues, many western brands in Middle Eastern markets with genuine (or apocryphal) ties to Israel expect business to flounder, or at best stall. “So long as this war is going on . . . we’re not expecting to see any significant improvement [in the Middle East markets] . . . It’s a human tragedy what’s going on and that does weigh on brands like ours,” McDonald’s CEO Kempczinski told investors in February.
Some experts like Anson Frericks, co-founder of Strive Asset Management, suggest that more time is needed in order to determine whether Israel boycotts have a material impact on the long-term cash flow of a brand doing business with Israel.
“I would want to see that there’s actually a trend that’s been happening for probably two or three quarters, he said, “before I would say that there’s actually been a success with this boycott.”
While the consumer boycott wave shows little sign of letting up, boardrooms and executives are also beginning to have discussions over the merits of doing business with Israel at the corporate level.
In May, Barclays’ annual shareholder meeting was disrupted by anti-Israel protesters. Then in August, the bank announced plans to withdraw from Israeli government bond auctions, in part due to sustained calls for a boycott of Barclays over its ties to Israel and the country’s defense suppliers.
Elsewhere at Amazon, a shareholder proposal filed for its 2024 proxy vote questioned the world’s largest retailer’s ties to the Jewish State, stating that among the government customers Amazon Web Services (AWS) serves is the Israeli government which “uses AWS to support the apartheid system under which Palestinians are surveilled, unlawfully detained and tortured.”
As the war in Gaza enters its second year next month, efforts to influence and infiltrate corporate governance systems are only likely to continue.
bolding=mine
While the New York Post gets a lot of well deserved criticism I have not seen any media including the most progressive and socialist ones report this.
US blasts NYC anti-Israel protest where some waved Hamas flags
Quote:
The White House rips into an anti-Israel protest that was held earlier today in New York and included the waving of flags of the Hamas terror organization.
Seven thousand people attended the protest, four of whom were arrested after clashing with police.
“As President Biden and Vice President Harris have said, there is absolutely no place in America for the poison of antisemitism – none,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates says in a statement to The Times of Israel.
“They and the entire Biden-Harris Administration condemn any individual associating with the repugnant terrorist organization Hamas.”
“It is especially heinous to express support for Hamas on the same day as the funeral for an innocent American hostage who they brutally murdered,” Bates adds, referring to Hersh Goldberg-Polin whose body was recovered by the IDF over the weekend after his Hamas captors killed him along with five other hostages.
“This is a moment for all Americans to come together and stand against antisemitism and against the sickening hate and evil that Hamas represents,” says the White House spokesperson.
Seven thousand people attended the protest, four of whom were arrested after clashing with police.
“As President Biden and Vice President Harris have said, there is absolutely no place in America for the poison of antisemitism – none,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates says in a statement to The Times of Israel.
“They and the entire Biden-Harris Administration condemn any individual associating with the repugnant terrorist organization Hamas.”
“It is especially heinous to express support for Hamas on the same day as the funeral for an innocent American hostage who they brutally murdered,” Bates adds, referring to Hersh Goldberg-Polin whose body was recovered by the IDF over the weekend after his Hamas captors killed him along with five other hostages.
“This is a moment for all Americans to come together and stand against antisemitism and against the sickening hate and evil that Hamas represents,” says the White House spokesperson.
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DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
ASPartOfMe
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04 Sep 2024, 6:18 pm
Meta's Oversight Board rules that 'from the river to the sea' is not necessarily hate speech
Quote:
The independent Oversight Board for Instagram and Facebook ruled Wednesday that the phrase “from the river to the sea” is not necessarily hate speech when addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ruling means that people on Meta-owned social media apps can continue to use the phrase in comments and posts, as long as there’s no overriding context that would otherwise be deemed problematic by Meta, such as violent language, legitimization of hate or calls for excluding others from territory, the board said.
The board’s ruling stemmed from three cases involving the phrase on Facebook. In each case, a user included the phrase in a post or comment, and someone else reported it as a violation of Facebook’s rules including its ban on hate speech, arguing that the phrase calls for the destruction of Israel.
Facebook did not remove the three posts, and some users appealed to the Oversight Board, a panel that arbitrates content-related disputes. Facebook was correct in not removing the posts, the board ruled.
“The Board finds there is no indication that the comment or the two posts broke Meta’s Hate Speech rules because they do not attack Jewish or Israeli people with calls for violence or exclusion, nor do they attack a concept or institution associated with a protected characteristic that could lead to imminent violence,” the board ruled in a 32-page decision.
“Instead, the three pieces of content contain contextual signals of solidarity with Palestinians,” it said.
The board’s rulings are generally binding on apps owned by Meta, including Facebook and Instagram. The latest ruling also includes recommendations for better tracking of hate speech and better data access to third-party researchers who study the platforms.
Meta said in a statement about the ruling: “We welcome the board’s review of our guidance on this matter. While all of our policies are developed with safety in mind, we know they come with global challenges and we regularly seek input from experts outside Meta, including the Oversight Board.”
The phrase “from the river to the sea” has been around for decades, but its use grew rapidly on social media and elsewhere during the past 11 months, since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
The ruling means that people on Meta-owned social media apps can continue to use the phrase in comments and posts, as long as there’s no overriding context that would otherwise be deemed problematic by Meta, such as violent language, legitimization of hate or calls for excluding others from territory, the board said.
The board’s ruling stemmed from three cases involving the phrase on Facebook. In each case, a user included the phrase in a post or comment, and someone else reported it as a violation of Facebook’s rules including its ban on hate speech, arguing that the phrase calls for the destruction of Israel.
Facebook did not remove the three posts, and some users appealed to the Oversight Board, a panel that arbitrates content-related disputes. Facebook was correct in not removing the posts, the board ruled.
“The Board finds there is no indication that the comment or the two posts broke Meta’s Hate Speech rules because they do not attack Jewish or Israeli people with calls for violence or exclusion, nor do they attack a concept or institution associated with a protected characteristic that could lead to imminent violence,” the board ruled in a 32-page decision.
“Instead, the three pieces of content contain contextual signals of solidarity with Palestinians,” it said.
The board’s rulings are generally binding on apps owned by Meta, including Facebook and Instagram. The latest ruling also includes recommendations for better tracking of hate speech and better data access to third-party researchers who study the platforms.
Meta said in a statement about the ruling: “We welcome the board’s review of our guidance on this matter. While all of our policies are developed with safety in mind, we know they come with global challenges and we regularly seek input from experts outside Meta, including the Oversight Board.”
The phrase “from the river to the sea” has been around for decades, but its use grew rapidly on social media and elsewhere during the past 11 months, since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
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DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
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04 Sep 2024, 6:25 pm
Quote:
The phrase “from the river to the sea” has been around for decades, but its use grew rapidly on social media and elsewhere during the past 11 months, since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
I wonder how much it's recent spread/rise in popularity is due to people seeing the backlash against the phrase as hypocritical.
_________________
“Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas, this is part of our strategy” —Netanyahu
戦争ではなく戦争と戦う
Faschismus ist die Gewalt der Schwachen.
ASPartOfMe
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04 Sep 2024, 6:47 pm
funeralxempire wrote:
Quote:
The phrase “from the river to the sea” has been around for decades, but its use grew rapidly on social media and elsewhere during the past 11 months, since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
I wonder how much it's recent spread/rise in popularity is due to people seeing the backlash against the phrase as hypocritical.
I could see "owning the zionists" as a possible factor.
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“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
funeralxempire
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04 Sep 2024, 6:52 pm
ASPartOfMe wrote:
funeralxempire wrote:
Quote:
The phrase “from the river to the sea” has been around for decades, but its use grew rapidly on social media and elsewhere during the past 11 months, since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
I wonder how much it's recent spread/rise in popularity is due to people seeing the backlash against the phrase as hypocritical.
I could see "owning the zionists" as a possible factor.
I think the two are entwined. Call out what appears to be hypocrisy from your perspective and trigger an emotional reaction in your foes, now you can say you owned them.
Political discussions seem increasingly focused on owning, rather than anything productive.
_________________
“Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas, this is part of our strategy” —Netanyahu
戦争ではなく戦争と戦う
Faschismus ist die Gewalt der Schwachen.
ASPartOfMe
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05 Sep 2024, 9:10 am
Police shoot and kill armed man near Israeli Consulate and museum in Munich
Quote:
Police shot and killed a man during an exchange of fire in the German city of Munich on Thursday, in an area near the Israeli Consulate and a museum on the city’s Nazi-era history.
Officers spotted a man carrying “a long gun” in the center of the Bavarian capital, Andreas Franken, a spokesperson for Munich Police told a news briefing.
Five officers approached him “and then there was an exchange of fire,” he said, adding that the suspect had died at the scene. No other injuries have been reported, he said.
At a later news conference, Franken said the suspect had been identified as an 18-year-old Austrian national and officers were investigating possible motives.
The gunman was carrying older type carbine with a bayonet attached, he added.
The incident took place in the Karolinenplatz area, near downtown Munich.
Speaking at the second news conference, Joachim Herrmann, Bavaria's interior minister said the Israeli consulate, which is in the same block where the incident took place, was likely the target of the attack.
Thomas Hampel, Munich’s police president also said that security measures had been increased around Jewish organizations and several other locations around the city.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the consulate in Munich was closed when the shooting occurred and that no consulate staff had been affected by the incident.
Officers spotted a man carrying “a long gun” in the center of the Bavarian capital, Andreas Franken, a spokesperson for Munich Police told a news briefing.
Five officers approached him “and then there was an exchange of fire,” he said, adding that the suspect had died at the scene. No other injuries have been reported, he said.
At a later news conference, Franken said the suspect had been identified as an 18-year-old Austrian national and officers were investigating possible motives.
The gunman was carrying older type carbine with a bayonet attached, he added.
The incident took place in the Karolinenplatz area, near downtown Munich.
Speaking at the second news conference, Joachim Herrmann, Bavaria's interior minister said the Israeli consulate, which is in the same block where the incident took place, was likely the target of the attack.
Thomas Hampel, Munich’s police president also said that security measures had been increased around Jewish organizations and several other locations around the city.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the consulate in Munich was closed when the shooting occurred and that no consulate staff had been affected by the incident.
Hillel in the crosshairs as students return to campus
Quote:
The Hillel Foundation for Jewish Campus Life has come under the crosshairs of anti-Israel activists as students are returning to campus, with protests against the organization at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), Temple University, and Hunter College over the weekend.
Anti-Israel TMU activists chanted for "Intifada" and demanded the adoption of anti-Israel policies opposite the TMU Hillel clubs fair booth on Friday.
"Zionists off our campus," read a banner held by activists, according to a TMU Apartheid Divest Instagram account.
Hillel paralyzed by anti-Israel agency
"Independent students and faculty came together to disrupt orientation at TMU and remind administration that the pressure for BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) will not stop," said TMU Apartheid Divest.
TMU Hillel said that the anti-Israel activists had not just disrupted their presentation of the organization to new students, but also the entire atmosphere of orientation.
"This is antisemitism," the Jewish campus life organizations said in a statement. "Hillel TMU will not be intimidated in this face of this harassment — we belong here."
Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather said on X that such protests targeted Jews and scared students away from the Hillel table.
A Thursday Hunter College protest saw activists with a banner proclaiming that “it is right to rebel, Hillel go to hell” next to another banner with the silhouette of a Kalashnikov rifle calling to "bring the war home."
The activists brought pots, pans, and drums to create noise to notify the City University of New York administration that they would continue their activism in the new academic year.
New York Congressman Ritchie Torres said that the banners and rhetoric at the demonstration were calls for violence against Jews.
Thursday also saw a "dis-orientation" day rally and march at Temple University that eventually migrated to the Temple University Hillel's office at The Rosen Center, according to Temple University President Richard Englert.
"Targeting a group of individuals because of their Jewish identity is not acceptable and intimidation and harassment tactics like those seen today will not be tolerated," said Englert. "Temple’s Division of Student Affairs is now actively investigating the incident. If students or student organizations are found to be involved, they will be subject to disciplinary action under the Student Conduct Code."
Not anti-Jewish, but anti-Zionist
Temple Students for Justice in Palestine denied that they targeted Hillel because of a group's Jewish identity, but to " highlight Hillel’s hand in sponsoring and legitimizing the Zionist Entity, an apartheid state that has killed countless friends and family members of Palestinian students at Temple University."
The group posted a transcript of a speech made at the building, accusing Hillel of supporting Israel through connection to programs like Birthright and placing Israel as central to Jewish identity.
A New York Revolutionary Youth protest at Baruch College last Sunday saw the carrying of the "Hillel go to hell" banner, according to Students, Alumni, and Faculty for Equality on Campus.
"Let the intifada pave the way for people's war," read another banner with a hammer and sickle, according to NYC Revolutionary' Youth's Instagram. The "bring the war home" rifle banner could also be seen in the photographs published by the group.
The protest had been held to call for law enforcement off CUNY campuses and to tell CUNY leadership "that business will not go as usual this upcoming fall semester."
On June 5, multiple anti-Israel groups had rallied against Baruch Hillel's Hillel on Base program in which participants could volunteer on an IDF base.
"Divest from Hillel International for their direct complicity in the genocide in Gaza," CUNY Jewish Antizionist Collective said on Instagram on June 12.
Amidst the protests, Hillel drew the attention and ire of online anti-Israel activists. Activist Anna Rajapogal wrote on Instagram on Saturday that Hillel chapters "exist as directly oppositional to SJP chapters, with intention and purpose" and was a "Zionist organization that operates as a political entity in service of the state of Israel."
'Racist, violent, repressive, right wing organization'
Palestinian-American writer Remi Kanazi said on X in response to Hillel's collaboration with Secure Community Network to protect campus Jewish sites that the Jewish campus life group was a "racist, violent, repressive, right wing organization" that was "actively complicit in affirming Israeli genocide and settler colonialism."
The University of Pittsburgh saw a violent incident against Jewish students on Friday when a group walking from a Hillel event to a Hillel shabbat dinner was attacked by a suspect with a bottle. The University said in a statement that two students were treated at the scene.
The previous academic year saw multiple acts of vandalism targeting Hillel buildings at various universities, such as the spraying of a swastika outside the University of Michigan Hillel in March.
Anti-Israel TMU activists chanted for "Intifada" and demanded the adoption of anti-Israel policies opposite the TMU Hillel clubs fair booth on Friday.
"Zionists off our campus," read a banner held by activists, according to a TMU Apartheid Divest Instagram account.
Hillel paralyzed by anti-Israel agency
"Independent students and faculty came together to disrupt orientation at TMU and remind administration that the pressure for BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) will not stop," said TMU Apartheid Divest.
TMU Hillel said that the anti-Israel activists had not just disrupted their presentation of the organization to new students, but also the entire atmosphere of orientation.
"This is antisemitism," the Jewish campus life organizations said in a statement. "Hillel TMU will not be intimidated in this face of this harassment — we belong here."
Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather said on X that such protests targeted Jews and scared students away from the Hillel table.
A Thursday Hunter College protest saw activists with a banner proclaiming that “it is right to rebel, Hillel go to hell” next to another banner with the silhouette of a Kalashnikov rifle calling to "bring the war home."
The activists brought pots, pans, and drums to create noise to notify the City University of New York administration that they would continue their activism in the new academic year.
New York Congressman Ritchie Torres said that the banners and rhetoric at the demonstration were calls for violence against Jews.
Thursday also saw a "dis-orientation" day rally and march at Temple University that eventually migrated to the Temple University Hillel's office at The Rosen Center, according to Temple University President Richard Englert.
"Targeting a group of individuals because of their Jewish identity is not acceptable and intimidation and harassment tactics like those seen today will not be tolerated," said Englert. "Temple’s Division of Student Affairs is now actively investigating the incident. If students or student organizations are found to be involved, they will be subject to disciplinary action under the Student Conduct Code."
Not anti-Jewish, but anti-Zionist
Temple Students for Justice in Palestine denied that they targeted Hillel because of a group's Jewish identity, but to " highlight Hillel’s hand in sponsoring and legitimizing the Zionist Entity, an apartheid state that has killed countless friends and family members of Palestinian students at Temple University."
The group posted a transcript of a speech made at the building, accusing Hillel of supporting Israel through connection to programs like Birthright and placing Israel as central to Jewish identity.
A New York Revolutionary Youth protest at Baruch College last Sunday saw the carrying of the "Hillel go to hell" banner, according to Students, Alumni, and Faculty for Equality on Campus.
"Let the intifada pave the way for people's war," read another banner with a hammer and sickle, according to NYC Revolutionary' Youth's Instagram. The "bring the war home" rifle banner could also be seen in the photographs published by the group.
The protest had been held to call for law enforcement off CUNY campuses and to tell CUNY leadership "that business will not go as usual this upcoming fall semester."
On June 5, multiple anti-Israel groups had rallied against Baruch Hillel's Hillel on Base program in which participants could volunteer on an IDF base.
"Divest from Hillel International for their direct complicity in the genocide in Gaza," CUNY Jewish Antizionist Collective said on Instagram on June 12.
Amidst the protests, Hillel drew the attention and ire of online anti-Israel activists. Activist Anna Rajapogal wrote on Instagram on Saturday that Hillel chapters "exist as directly oppositional to SJP chapters, with intention and purpose" and was a "Zionist organization that operates as a political entity in service of the state of Israel."
'Racist, violent, repressive, right wing organization'
Palestinian-American writer Remi Kanazi said on X in response to Hillel's collaboration with Secure Community Network to protect campus Jewish sites that the Jewish campus life group was a "racist, violent, repressive, right wing organization" that was "actively complicit in affirming Israeli genocide and settler colonialism."
The University of Pittsburgh saw a violent incident against Jewish students on Friday when a group walking from a Hillel event to a Hillel shabbat dinner was attacked by a suspect with a bottle. The University said in a statement that two students were treated at the scene.
The previous academic year saw multiple acts of vandalism targeting Hillel buildings at various universities, such as the spraying of a swastika outside the University of Michigan Hillel in March.
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05 Sep 2024, 6:06 pm
Portland council votes unanimously to divest from companies doing business in Israel
Quote:
The Portland City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to divest from companies doing business in Israel, taking the step after more than 3 hours of public comment from a large and emotional crowd.
The council chambers and overflow rooms were completely full as members of the public spoke about the resolution brought forth by Councilor April Fournier that targets Chevron, Volvo, Boeing and 82 other companies.
When the council passed the resolution following a brief deliberation that came after 3 1/2 hours of public comment, the council chambers erupted in applause and several people burst into tears.
Councilor Anna Trevorrow spoke in support of the resolution. She acknowledged the complexity of the conflict between Israel and Hamas but said she feels responsible for doing what good she can when she has the opportunity.
"The best that we can do is to live by our morals and hope that we create a ripple effect that others can follow to create compassion in our community, so I'll be supporting this tonight," Trevorrow said.
Councilor Victoria Pelletier also spoke in support of divestment after revealing that before the meeting, she had received more than 3,000 emails about the proposal.
"As we continue forward with our energy and our activism, I want to make sure I always acknowledge and list these other areas that are very deserving of our attention as well," she said, mentioning humanitarian crises in Haiti, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In favor of divestment
Mayor Mark Dion also spoke in support of divestment.
"I see a government that had every right to defend (itself), and I can appreciate the desire for retribution ... but as I would, as a police officer, I think our role collectively is to grab their shoulder and say, 'It's enough, it's simply enough,' and pull them away," said Dion, a former Portland police officer and Cumberland County sheriff.
In January, the Portland City Council unanimously passed a resolution demanding that the United States government call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. That resolution, brought forth by Councilor Pious Ali, was sent to President Biden and Maine's congressional delegation.
Tensions were high on Wednesday with some members of the public crying while giving public comment and applause breaking out multiple times.
Jenna Wolfinger, a Portland resident, argued before the council during public comment that the resolution shouldn't be viewed as picking a side. She supported the resolution.
Is this antisemitism?
"It is not antisemitic to divest from any company or other entity that is profiting from the murder of children," she said. "It is the least we can do."
About an hour into public comment, a commenter spoke directly to Dion asking him to use gender neutral language when addressing people participating in public comment.
About thirty minutes later, Dion left his post presiding over the council and closed the door to chambers after someone outside the door began clapping. This came after multiple reminders from Dion that council rules bar any clapping, booing or other similar expressions from the public.
Dion later apologized for addressing speakers as "Sir" and "Ma'am" and thanked the member of the public who had asked him to use gender neutral language. For the rest of the meeting he referred to commenters as "speaker" rather than "Sir" or "Ma'am."
The council also voted unanimously on Wednesday night to renew the lease agreement with the Portland Seadogs for the use of Hadlock Stadium. The new lease gives the team the space until Sept. 30, 2038. The lease allows the team to invest up to $10 million in stadium improvements during that time to remain compliant with league requirements.
Steven Brinn, past president of the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, slammed the decision, telling the Post that "As a Portland native, I’ve never been so disappointed and upset and embarrassed by a decision made by the city council as I am by last night’s totally misguided, racist, uninformed and divisive vote on divestiture on Israel."
"In this time of rampant antisemitism, I am saddened that the city of Portland leaders have decided to inflame the situation even more and have become so hateful and one-sided instead of trying to unite us," he said. "It’s shameful that none of them could take the time to educate themselves on this issue before voting."
The council chambers and overflow rooms were completely full as members of the public spoke about the resolution brought forth by Councilor April Fournier that targets Chevron, Volvo, Boeing and 82 other companies.
When the council passed the resolution following a brief deliberation that came after 3 1/2 hours of public comment, the council chambers erupted in applause and several people burst into tears.
Councilor Anna Trevorrow spoke in support of the resolution. She acknowledged the complexity of the conflict between Israel and Hamas but said she feels responsible for doing what good she can when she has the opportunity.
"The best that we can do is to live by our morals and hope that we create a ripple effect that others can follow to create compassion in our community, so I'll be supporting this tonight," Trevorrow said.
Councilor Victoria Pelletier also spoke in support of divestment after revealing that before the meeting, she had received more than 3,000 emails about the proposal.
"As we continue forward with our energy and our activism, I want to make sure I always acknowledge and list these other areas that are very deserving of our attention as well," she said, mentioning humanitarian crises in Haiti, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In favor of divestment
Mayor Mark Dion also spoke in support of divestment.
"I see a government that had every right to defend (itself), and I can appreciate the desire for retribution ... but as I would, as a police officer, I think our role collectively is to grab their shoulder and say, 'It's enough, it's simply enough,' and pull them away," said Dion, a former Portland police officer and Cumberland County sheriff.
In January, the Portland City Council unanimously passed a resolution demanding that the United States government call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. That resolution, brought forth by Councilor Pious Ali, was sent to President Biden and Maine's congressional delegation.
Tensions were high on Wednesday with some members of the public crying while giving public comment and applause breaking out multiple times.
Jenna Wolfinger, a Portland resident, argued before the council during public comment that the resolution shouldn't be viewed as picking a side. She supported the resolution.
Is this antisemitism?
"It is not antisemitic to divest from any company or other entity that is profiting from the murder of children," she said. "It is the least we can do."
About an hour into public comment, a commenter spoke directly to Dion asking him to use gender neutral language when addressing people participating in public comment.
About thirty minutes later, Dion left his post presiding over the council and closed the door to chambers after someone outside the door began clapping. This came after multiple reminders from Dion that council rules bar any clapping, booing or other similar expressions from the public.
Dion later apologized for addressing speakers as "Sir" and "Ma'am" and thanked the member of the public who had asked him to use gender neutral language. For the rest of the meeting he referred to commenters as "speaker" rather than "Sir" or "Ma'am."
The council also voted unanimously on Wednesday night to renew the lease agreement with the Portland Seadogs for the use of Hadlock Stadium. The new lease gives the team the space until Sept. 30, 2038. The lease allows the team to invest up to $10 million in stadium improvements during that time to remain compliant with league requirements.
Steven Brinn, past president of the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, slammed the decision, telling the Post that "As a Portland native, I’ve never been so disappointed and upset and embarrassed by a decision made by the city council as I am by last night’s totally misguided, racist, uninformed and divisive vote on divestiture on Israel."
"In this time of rampant antisemitism, I am saddened that the city of Portland leaders have decided to inflame the situation even more and have become so hateful and one-sided instead of trying to unite us," he said. "It’s shameful that none of them could take the time to educate themselves on this issue before voting."
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“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
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06 Sep 2024, 11:20 am
Judge sides with NYC parent activist who slammed school newspaper for 'Jew hatred'
Quote:
A New York district court ruled Tuesday a former education policy board member should be reinstated after criticizing a student newspaper's coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
Maud Maron was serving on New York City’s Community Education Council 2 before NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks removed her in June. Earlier in the year, she had told the New York Post that an article about the Israel-Hamas war which appeared in Stuyvesant High School’s student newspaper should have a byline reading “coward” instead of “anonymous.”
The anonymous editorial reportedly accused Israel of "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing," while also noting Palestinians "have been victims of blatant crimes against humanity as the rest of the world turns a blind eye to Israel’s atrocities."
Maron argued to the New York Post that “if you are going to repeat revolting Hamas propaganda and transcribe your ignorance and Jew hatred, put your name to it.” The board member also called on the high school’s principal to explain to Jewish students “why this factually inaccurate bile was published on the school paper anonymously.”
Banks said that Maron’s comments violated a council policy prohibiting harassment and discrimination, ultimately removing her from the board.
However, Judge Diane Gujarati ruled Tuesday that Maron helped show a “clear and substantial” likelihood of establishing that sections of the policy are unconstitutional. The judge added that not reinstating the board member would subject her to “irreparable harm.”
Maron told Crisis in the Classroom (CITC) her work as a council member was important, adding that Banks may have removed her for reasons other than what he said.
“They want to silence parents who give them headaches,” Maron claimed. “And I think I’m doing really important work to speak up for our public school students, but they probably think I’m a headache.”
Status quo was also a factor in the ruling, according to Judge Gujarati. She cited a circuit court’s ruling that defendants may have to restore status quo when they have changed it and exposed plaintiffs to irreversible damage.
Maron called the ruling a “free speech win.”
Maud Maron was serving on New York City’s Community Education Council 2 before NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks removed her in June. Earlier in the year, she had told the New York Post that an article about the Israel-Hamas war which appeared in Stuyvesant High School’s student newspaper should have a byline reading “coward” instead of “anonymous.”
The anonymous editorial reportedly accused Israel of "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing," while also noting Palestinians "have been victims of blatant crimes against humanity as the rest of the world turns a blind eye to Israel’s atrocities."
Maron argued to the New York Post that “if you are going to repeat revolting Hamas propaganda and transcribe your ignorance and Jew hatred, put your name to it.” The board member also called on the high school’s principal to explain to Jewish students “why this factually inaccurate bile was published on the school paper anonymously.”
Banks said that Maron’s comments violated a council policy prohibiting harassment and discrimination, ultimately removing her from the board.
However, Judge Diane Gujarati ruled Tuesday that Maron helped show a “clear and substantial” likelihood of establishing that sections of the policy are unconstitutional. The judge added that not reinstating the board member would subject her to “irreparable harm.”
Maron told Crisis in the Classroom (CITC) her work as a council member was important, adding that Banks may have removed her for reasons other than what he said.
“They want to silence parents who give them headaches,” Maron claimed. “And I think I’m doing really important work to speak up for our public school students, but they probably think I’m a headache.”
Status quo was also a factor in the ruling, according to Judge Gujarati. She cited a circuit court’s ruling that defendants may have to restore status quo when they have changed it and exposed plaintiffs to irreversible damage.
Maron called the ruling a “free speech win.”
Cops: Scissors attack on Jewish barber in Yonkers was a hate crime
Quote:
A Yonkers man is charged with attempted murder as a hate crime after allegedly stabbing a barber because he was Jewish.
Ahmed al Jabali, 34, allegedly shouted, "I want to kill you, you (expletive) Jew" before repeatedly trying to stab Slava Shushakov in the face and body with a pair of Jaguar barber scissors on Aug. 29 at a Yonkers Avenue barbershop, according to a criminal complaint by police filed in Yonkers City Court.
The barbershop has been closed since the attack.
In a phone interview Tuesday, Shushakov told The Journal News/lohud that he had just finished giving the man a haircut when his attacker grabbed the scissors from the counter, threatened to kill him and blow up his store, and began stabbing him. He said he warded off the attack using both hands, managing to keep the knife away from his head and body, but suffered a deep cut to his right hand that has kept him from returning to work.
“He talked like he wanted revenge. He wanted to be like an Islamic warrior," said the 51-year-old Uzbekistan native who has lived in Queens for the past 25 years. "I'm a Jew, all my clients know I'm a Jew."
He said he used his left hand to grab a kitchen knife to ward off his attacker, who then fled but was soon caught by police after a witness gave a description of his car.
Shushakov was treated at a hospital for his cuts and al Jabali was charged with second-degree attempted murder.
Victim knew al Jabali from the neighborhood
In the interview, the barber said he knew al Jabali from the neighborhood and that he had heard him previously talking about how Iran was going to blow up Israel. He said on Thursday that al Jabali was acting aggressively and had been drinking. He said he thought about refusing to give him a haircut but did not want to antagonize him.
Shushakov said al Jabali was outspoken about his hatred for Israel and its ongoing war in Gaza. But he said he doesn't engage with people he believes are radicalized from only reading media accounts that assail Israel.
Alleged assailant has been repeatedly arrested
It was at least the fifth time Al Jabali was arrested in Yonkers over the past two years, mostly on misdemeanor charges.
Ahmed al Jabali, 34, allegedly shouted, "I want to kill you, you (expletive) Jew" before repeatedly trying to stab Slava Shushakov in the face and body with a pair of Jaguar barber scissors on Aug. 29 at a Yonkers Avenue barbershop, according to a criminal complaint by police filed in Yonkers City Court.
The barbershop has been closed since the attack.
In a phone interview Tuesday, Shushakov told The Journal News/lohud that he had just finished giving the man a haircut when his attacker grabbed the scissors from the counter, threatened to kill him and blow up his store, and began stabbing him. He said he warded off the attack using both hands, managing to keep the knife away from his head and body, but suffered a deep cut to his right hand that has kept him from returning to work.
“He talked like he wanted revenge. He wanted to be like an Islamic warrior," said the 51-year-old Uzbekistan native who has lived in Queens for the past 25 years. "I'm a Jew, all my clients know I'm a Jew."
He said he used his left hand to grab a kitchen knife to ward off his attacker, who then fled but was soon caught by police after a witness gave a description of his car.
Shushakov was treated at a hospital for his cuts and al Jabali was charged with second-degree attempted murder.
Victim knew al Jabali from the neighborhood
In the interview, the barber said he knew al Jabali from the neighborhood and that he had heard him previously talking about how Iran was going to blow up Israel. He said on Thursday that al Jabali was acting aggressively and had been drinking. He said he thought about refusing to give him a haircut but did not want to antagonize him.
Shushakov said al Jabali was outspoken about his hatred for Israel and its ongoing war in Gaza. But he said he doesn't engage with people he believes are radicalized from only reading media accounts that assail Israel.
Alleged assailant has been repeatedly arrested
It was at least the fifth time Al Jabali was arrested in Yonkers over the past two years, mostly on misdemeanor charges.
Yonkers, New York is a city that borders on New York City.
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“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
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06 Sep 2024, 7:40 pm
Toronto man accused of plotting terror attack at Jewish centre in New York City
Quote:
A Toronto-area man is facing terror charges in both Canada and the United States, authorities say, for allegedly attempting to illegally enter the U.S. to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish Centre in New York City.
News releases issued Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice and the RCMP identified the accused in the case as 20-year-old Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, who investigators say also goes by Shahzeb Jadoon.
Khan was arrested Wednesday in the town of Ormstown, Que., about 60 kilometres south of Montreal. U.S. authorities described him as a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada.
"The defendant is alleged to have planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7th of this year with the stated goal of slaughtering, in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible," said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in a statement.
"Thanks to the investigative work of the FBI, and the quick action of our Canadian law enforcement partners, the defendant was taken into custody."
Khan now faces three charges in Canada:
Attempting to leave Canada to commit an offence for a terrorist group.
Participating in the activities of a terrorist group.
Conspiracy to commit an offence by violating U.S. immigration law – entering or attempting to enter the U.S. unlawfully.
Khan also faces a charge in the U.S. of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely ISIS.
RCMP officials said in a news release that "we can reassure the public that as his actions escalated, at no point in time was Khan an immediate threat prior to his arrest."
In a statement posted on X, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the arrest was "the product of strong partnership" between the RCMP and FBI.
"Jewish Canadians and Jewish Americans deserve to be safe in their communities," LeBlanc said. "We, along with our law enforcement agencies, are working tirelessly to ensure all Canadians' safety."
Khan is slated to appear in Superior Court in Montreal on Sept. 13.
Accused allegedly spoke to undercover officers
Khan is believed to have been heading toward Roxham Road with the intention of illegally entering the U.S., sources say, when he was arrested around 5 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Gale and Church streets.
U.S. authorities allege Khan intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish Centre in Brooklyn, New York — information police say they gleaned from conversations between the accused and two undercover officers.
Khan began posting on social media and talking with people about his support for ISIS on an encrypted messaging app around November of 2023, according to the news release. Two of those people were undercover agents, the Department of Justice says.
In the midst of those conversations, Khan allegedly said he and a U.S.-based ISIS supporter had been planning an attack in a different, unnamed city, and repeatedly instructed the undercover officers to obtain assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out their plan.
He allegedly suggested Oct. 7 and Oct. 11 as possible dates for the attack — with the former being the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that renewed a decades-long conflict with Israel, and the latter being the start of Yom Kippur.
Around Aug. 20, Khan changed his target to the aforementioned Jewish Centre in New York, citing the area's large Jewish population. According to the Department of Justice news release, he allegedly stated: "we are going to NYC to slaughter them."
During one communication, U.S. authorities say, Khan allegedly said: "if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11."
Michel Juneau-Katsuya, former senior manager and senior intelligence officer for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, told CBC News he wasn't surprised by news of the arrest.
"People might believe that with the success we had against Daesh or ISIS in the Middle East that we would have got rid of them. But it's on the contrary," he said.
"If I may use the analogy, it's a little bit like using a big baseball bat and hitting a wasp's nest. You killed the nest, you kill a lot of wasps, but now the big bat doesn't help you with the flying wasps around you," he added.
"ISIS has not lost its ability to recruit online. They are capable to sort of foster recruitment, radicalization. And people turn into extremists in the privacy of their home, and when they manifest themselves, it's usually just before they go into action."
Large police presence in small Quebec town
The Department of Justice says Khan used three separate cars to travel toward the U.S. before he was stopped by police in Quebec.
Ormstown resident Elizabeth Henshaw told Radio-Canada that she came home Wednesday to find dozens of police officers outside her home with a man handcuffed on her front lawn and a woman in cuffs on her front porch.
She said Ormstown is a "very quiet little town," with a population just under 4,000 people, according to Statistics Canada.
"It was very unusual, it was the talk of the town," she said.
News releases issued Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice and the RCMP identified the accused in the case as 20-year-old Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, who investigators say also goes by Shahzeb Jadoon.
Khan was arrested Wednesday in the town of Ormstown, Que., about 60 kilometres south of Montreal. U.S. authorities described him as a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada.
"The defendant is alleged to have planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7th of this year with the stated goal of slaughtering, in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible," said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in a statement.
"Thanks to the investigative work of the FBI, and the quick action of our Canadian law enforcement partners, the defendant was taken into custody."
Khan now faces three charges in Canada:
Attempting to leave Canada to commit an offence for a terrorist group.
Participating in the activities of a terrorist group.
Conspiracy to commit an offence by violating U.S. immigration law – entering or attempting to enter the U.S. unlawfully.
Khan also faces a charge in the U.S. of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely ISIS.
RCMP officials said in a news release that "we can reassure the public that as his actions escalated, at no point in time was Khan an immediate threat prior to his arrest."
In a statement posted on X, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the arrest was "the product of strong partnership" between the RCMP and FBI.
"Jewish Canadians and Jewish Americans deserve to be safe in their communities," LeBlanc said. "We, along with our law enforcement agencies, are working tirelessly to ensure all Canadians' safety."
Khan is slated to appear in Superior Court in Montreal on Sept. 13.
Accused allegedly spoke to undercover officers
Khan is believed to have been heading toward Roxham Road with the intention of illegally entering the U.S., sources say, when he was arrested around 5 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Gale and Church streets.
U.S. authorities allege Khan intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish Centre in Brooklyn, New York — information police say they gleaned from conversations between the accused and two undercover officers.
Khan began posting on social media and talking with people about his support for ISIS on an encrypted messaging app around November of 2023, according to the news release. Two of those people were undercover agents, the Department of Justice says.
In the midst of those conversations, Khan allegedly said he and a U.S.-based ISIS supporter had been planning an attack in a different, unnamed city, and repeatedly instructed the undercover officers to obtain assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out their plan.
He allegedly suggested Oct. 7 and Oct. 11 as possible dates for the attack — with the former being the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that renewed a decades-long conflict with Israel, and the latter being the start of Yom Kippur.
Around Aug. 20, Khan changed his target to the aforementioned Jewish Centre in New York, citing the area's large Jewish population. According to the Department of Justice news release, he allegedly stated: "we are going to NYC to slaughter them."
During one communication, U.S. authorities say, Khan allegedly said: "if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11."
Michel Juneau-Katsuya, former senior manager and senior intelligence officer for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, told CBC News he wasn't surprised by news of the arrest.
"People might believe that with the success we had against Daesh or ISIS in the Middle East that we would have got rid of them. But it's on the contrary," he said.
"If I may use the analogy, it's a little bit like using a big baseball bat and hitting a wasp's nest. You killed the nest, you kill a lot of wasps, but now the big bat doesn't help you with the flying wasps around you," he added.
"ISIS has not lost its ability to recruit online. They are capable to sort of foster recruitment, radicalization. And people turn into extremists in the privacy of their home, and when they manifest themselves, it's usually just before they go into action."
Large police presence in small Quebec town
The Department of Justice says Khan used three separate cars to travel toward the U.S. before he was stopped by police in Quebec.
Ormstown resident Elizabeth Henshaw told Radio-Canada that she came home Wednesday to find dozens of police officers outside her home with a man handcuffed on her front lawn and a woman in cuffs on her front porch.
She said Ormstown is a "very quiet little town," with a population just under 4,000 people, according to Statistics Canada.
"It was very unusual, it was the talk of the town," she said.
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“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
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08 Sep 2024, 2:53 am
JForce and Magen Herut: The Jewish safety patrols protecting Toronto
Quote:
Two Jewish safety patrols called JForce and Magen Herut Canada have been brought in to protect Jewish students at the University of Toronto, according to multiple social media posts and Canadian Jewish News (CJN).
Videos circulating on X/Twitter show four men wearing what appear to be protective gear with a JForce logo. The woman recording refers to them as a "vigilante group," however, social media users have said the patrol was brought in to protect Jewish students from pro-Palestine protesters and encampments, which have led to assaults and harassment.
During a pro-Palestine protest on Friday, safety patrol teams were sent to accompany Jewish students through UoT's campus, according to CJN. The patrol was run by a volunteer team called Magen Herut Canada.
Aaron Hadida, the founder of Magen Herut, said “We’re just here to maintain as much order as we can and make sure the Jewish community is safe."
Hadida, alongside other volunteer team members, wore black shirts with the words “Surveillance team” on the back and situated themselves at the entrance to the campus along with a team of Toronto police officers.
Hadida, who is trained in multiple combat and martial arts, began recruiting volunteers for his patrol team following the October 7 massacre, which triggered a worldwide uptick in antisemitic incidents, including in Toronto.
Antisemitic incidents in Canada
In the last week of August, over 100 Jewish institutions, synagogues, and hospitals across Canada were targeted with a mass email bomb threat on early Wednesday morning, according to Canadian police, politicians, and Jewish institutions.
In the months following October 7, Hadida's team started arriving at community events and explained how they "started letting the Jewish community know that we’re up and running."
Worried parents of university students now ring him for advice and help, he told CJN.
They’re constantly worried about their kids on campus,” he said. “We decided that we’re going to be a visible presence on university campuses this year, that Jewish students who [go] to class [are] going to know that, no matter what, somebody [is] outside keeping an eye on them.”
A volunteer at Magen Herut Canada - Tochi Osuji - said he felt the police were limited in how much help they could provide on campus.
“It doesn’t require you to be Jewish to see what’s going on,” he said to CJN. “It’s shocking to see that the administrations have been really slow to respond and a lot of times complicit.”
Osuji is not Jewish but was motivated to get involved after witnessing an elderly Jewish man be assaulted during a pro-Israel rally.
“We’re not here to fight people,” Osuji said, "We’re here to protect. If we see kids attacked, that might play out a little differently. But I feel like it’s just our physical presence that changes the dynamic.”
Videos circulating on X/Twitter show four men wearing what appear to be protective gear with a JForce logo. The woman recording refers to them as a "vigilante group," however, social media users have said the patrol was brought in to protect Jewish students from pro-Palestine protesters and encampments, which have led to assaults and harassment.
During a pro-Palestine protest on Friday, safety patrol teams were sent to accompany Jewish students through UoT's campus, according to CJN. The patrol was run by a volunteer team called Magen Herut Canada.
Aaron Hadida, the founder of Magen Herut, said “We’re just here to maintain as much order as we can and make sure the Jewish community is safe."
Hadida, alongside other volunteer team members, wore black shirts with the words “Surveillance team” on the back and situated themselves at the entrance to the campus along with a team of Toronto police officers.
Hadida, who is trained in multiple combat and martial arts, began recruiting volunteers for his patrol team following the October 7 massacre, which triggered a worldwide uptick in antisemitic incidents, including in Toronto.
Antisemitic incidents in Canada
In the last week of August, over 100 Jewish institutions, synagogues, and hospitals across Canada were targeted with a mass email bomb threat on early Wednesday morning, according to Canadian police, politicians, and Jewish institutions.
In the months following October 7, Hadida's team started arriving at community events and explained how they "started letting the Jewish community know that we’re up and running."
Worried parents of university students now ring him for advice and help, he told CJN.
They’re constantly worried about their kids on campus,” he said. “We decided that we’re going to be a visible presence on university campuses this year, that Jewish students who [go] to class [are] going to know that, no matter what, somebody [is] outside keeping an eye on them.”
A volunteer at Magen Herut Canada - Tochi Osuji - said he felt the police were limited in how much help they could provide on campus.
“It doesn’t require you to be Jewish to see what’s going on,” he said to CJN. “It’s shocking to see that the administrations have been really slow to respond and a lot of times complicit.”
Osuji is not Jewish but was motivated to get involved after witnessing an elderly Jewish man be assaulted during a pro-Israel rally.
“We’re not here to fight people,” Osuji said, "We’re here to protect. If we see kids attacked, that might play out a little differently. But I feel like it’s just our physical presence that changes the dynamic.”
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DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
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08 Sep 2024, 1:19 pm
Quote:
Twisted anti-Israel protesters harassed Jewish Baruch College freshmen attending a welcome event this week, cruelly taunting them about the murder of six hostages by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, according to a disturbing video shared on Instagram.
“Where’s Hersh, you ugly a– b—h? Go bring them home,” one protester yelled at students, referring to Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, one of the six hostages killed by Hamas and found dead Aug. 31 in Gaza.
The new students were attending Hillel’s welcome dinner, which was held at the Mr. Broadway kosher restaurant in Midtown, where a mob of about a dozen screamed threats including, “You ain’t going home tonight,” according to a post from the student group.
Baruch Students for Justice in Palestine, which administrators say is not affiliated with the college, helped organize the hatefest, asking for “support” at the restaurant beforehand on Instagram, the Jewish Telegraphic agency reported.
The SJP chapter has called on CUNY to cut ties with Hillel International, which has 850 campus chapters, social media posts show.
“Ilya Bratman, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?” the group also chanted, calling out Hillel’s executive director.
CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez said the university system is investigating the incident and will enforce disciplinary actions as appropriate.
“I was deeply disappointed to learn demonstrators disrupted a Hillel welcome dinner for students from CUNY and universities across the City, turning an event designed to help freshmen acclimate to college life into a disruptive hate-filled display that has no place in our city,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
The school is “outraged by the language used” at the protest, a Baruch spokesperson said in a statement.
No arrests were made at the protest, which was dispersed by police, according to an NYPD spokesperson.
“Where’s Hersh, you ugly a– b—h? Go bring them home,” one protester yelled at students, referring to Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, one of the six hostages killed by Hamas and found dead Aug. 31 in Gaza.
The new students were attending Hillel’s welcome dinner, which was held at the Mr. Broadway kosher restaurant in Midtown, where a mob of about a dozen screamed threats including, “You ain’t going home tonight,” according to a post from the student group.
Baruch Students for Justice in Palestine, which administrators say is not affiliated with the college, helped organize the hatefest, asking for “support” at the restaurant beforehand on Instagram, the Jewish Telegraphic agency reported.
The SJP chapter has called on CUNY to cut ties with Hillel International, which has 850 campus chapters, social media posts show.
“Ilya Bratman, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?” the group also chanted, calling out Hillel’s executive director.
CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez said the university system is investigating the incident and will enforce disciplinary actions as appropriate.
“I was deeply disappointed to learn demonstrators disrupted a Hillel welcome dinner for students from CUNY and universities across the City, turning an event designed to help freshmen acclimate to college life into a disruptive hate-filled display that has no place in our city,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
The school is “outraged by the language used” at the protest, a Baruch spokesperson said in a statement.
No arrests were made at the protest, which was dispersed by police, according to an NYPD spokesperson.
_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
08 Sep 2024, 1:37 pm
TBH accusing Israel of intentional genocide is the present day Blood Libel.
