FBI arrests college student for plotting mass casualty attack on Israeli consulate in NYC
Quote:
The FBI has arrested a suspect for a planned mass casualty terror attack against the Israeli consulate in New York City, the consulate said on Thursday.
The suspect, Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, an 18-year-old Egyptian national living in Falls Church, Virginia, instructed an FBI informant to carry out the attack, according to a criminal complaint filed on Monday. He was later confirmed by the Washington Post to be a freshman at George Mason University.
Hassan ran several social media accounts that supported ISIS, al-Qaeda and Hamas, and advocated for violence against Jews, the FBI said in the complaint filed in a federal court in Virginia.
Local police located Hassan after receiving a tip about one of Hassan’s accounts on X. An undercover FBI asset then connected with Hassan on social media and secure messaging apps.
Hassan allegedly instructed the informant on how to join ISIS and shared jihadist propaganda, including a video that advocated for killing Jews.
He encouraged the informant to carry out an attack, sending him instructions on how to create a “martyrdom video,” the complaint said.
The suspect sent the informant bomb-making instructions and told the informant, who said he was in New York, to target a building representing Jews, later settling on the Israeli consulate. The bomb-making instructions allegedly included the suggestion that packing the explosive with 30 mm aluminum ball bearings, for shrapnel, “will do the trick.”
Hassan told the informant how to surveil the consulate and how to escape to ISIS territory after the attack, and also suggested he could “lay havoc on them with an assault rifle” instead of a bomb. He also told the informant to livestream the attack so Hassan could give the footage to ISIS.
Hassan, who according to a court filing was arrested on December 17, is accused of crimes related to distributing information on explosives and weapons of mass destruction.
Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister slams pope for Vatican keffiyeh nativity displayQuote:
Amichai Chikli, Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister, has accused Pope Francis of perpetuating “dangerous blood libel” against Israel and distorting history in a strongly worded letter sent on Thursday.
Chikli’s criticism focused on two recent Vatican actions: the Pope’s comments suggesting that allegations of genocide in Gaza “should be carefully investigated” and a nativity display portraying Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian nationalism.
“Two weeks ago, you took part in a display that echoes the Palestinian narrative, portraying Jesus as a Palestinian Arab,” Chikli wrote. “Had this been a one-time matter, I would not have written. However, in a more severe expression, you recently insinuated that the State of Israel ‘might be’ committing genocide in Gaza.
He slammed the use of the term genocide, writing: “As a nation that lost six million of its sons and daughters in the Holocaust, we are especially sensitive to the trivialization of the term ‘genocide’—a trivialization that is dangerously close to Holocaust denial.”
A nativity scene featuring baby Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh was unveiled in St. Peter’s Square as part of the Vatican's Christmas display more than a week ago, designed by Bethlehem artists Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi. Pope Francis, at the event, called for peace, condemning war and the arms industry, stating, “Enough with wars, enough of violence!” The artwork, “Nativity of Bethlehem 2024,” was created with olive wood, mother-of-pearl, and other materials, showcasing Palestinian symbolism. This display follows Pope Francis’ recent controversial comments suggesting that Israel’s actions in Gaza might constitute genocide.
’Rewriting history’
Chikli also condemned the nativity display as an example of historical distortion, linking it to broader efforts to undermine Jewish historical connections.
“It is a well-known fact that Jesus was born to a Jewish mother, lived as a Jew, and died as a Jew,” Chikli stated. “There is no other way to understand this decision than as a deliberate adoption of the Palestinian narrative.”
He emphasized Bethlehem’s significance in Jewish history, writing: “Bethlehem is the city where Rachel, our matriarch, died giving birth to Benjamin, and where David, son of Jesse, was born—the same David who became the King of Israel and made Jerusalem its capital.”
The minister refuted comparisons between Israel’s actions in Gaza and genocide, calling such accusations “a disgusting attempt to rewrite history.”
A plea for clarity
Chikli urged Pope Francis to clarify his position on what he called “the blood libel against the Jewish state.” He acknowledged the Pope’s previous efforts to strengthen Jewish-Christian ties, mainly through meetings with Jewish leaders and families of Israeli hostages.
“We know you are a close friend of the Jewish people,” Chikli wrote while stressing the importance of rejecting false allegations against Israel. “Your guidance, actions, and leadership have tremendous influence worldwide.”
Chikli also referenced the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Nostra Aetate Declaration, which marked a turning point in Jewish-Christian relations.
The letter concluded with a call for moral leadership. “Truth and God are one,” Chikli wrote. “We ask you to stand for the truth.”
_________________
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
20 Dec 2024, 7:15 am
