Michael Starr

2024-05-07

Simcha Rothman, the chair of the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, and member of Knesset from the Religious Zionist Party, spoke in a Holocaust ceremony at Columbia University in New York. "We are standing on at Columbia University, and the antisemitism is on the rise here and in many places around the world," said Rothman. He spoke to listeners about the ongoing demonstrations at American colleges, stressing the importance of separating protest from hate speech. "In a demonstration where people simply want to convey a message, this this is freedom of speech, this is legitimately possible. What we see here on campus is not a demonstration; what we see here is support for terrorism and antisemitism," he added. In recent weeks, across the US have faced occupation and aggressive protest by activists in a bid to force the adoption of anti-Israel policies since the original April 17 Columbia University tent settlement. Many and exam seasons have been disrupted, and there have been incidents of violence and antisemitism towards Jewish and Israeli students and staff. Yariv Levin, Simcha Rothman in the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee (credit: Mark Israel Salem) Rothman addressed this by questioning why protests, under the guise of being critical of Israel, choose to discriminate against or harass Jewish students. He asked, “If you are protesting a policy, why would you prevent students from entering campus? Why would you block a lecturer from entering the university if he looks Jewish?” He spoke to the existential threat facing the State of Israel, which he says is fighting “not only to protect the safety of our citizens, but also to preserve the lives of Jews around the world”. He correlated the struggles faced by Jews today with that of , saying that there was a similarity “between what happened in Germany before the war and what is happening today on the streets of the USA.” He finished with a message of strength, encouraging unity between diaspora and Israeli Jews: “All of us together, unified, we should fight against terrorism and antisemitism in every possible way”. Michael Starr contributed to this report. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-05-05

African-American University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) student Milagro Jones had his passage blocked on campuses and was told to leave the grounds by pro-Palestinian protesters last week, according to American media. American media further stated that during one of the altercations with the students, Milagro reportedly accused the pro-Palestinian protesters and discrimination, arguing a “white man” was telling him to leave. “They wouldn’t let me move, period. They had me completely surrounded,” he told CNN. “They were saying I was an Israeli agitator, I don’t even know what that is,” he added. He noted that as an African-American, he is opposed to “any type of discrimination.” “I stand for zero tolerance for antisemitism on the campus,” Jones emphasized. The event comes amid pro-Palestinian protests at UCLA last week, which saw who attempted to remove the encampments that had previously been set up on campus by demonstrators. In an incident, . Due to the events on campus, UCLA cautioned students to avoid the campus last week and said classes would be held remotely. Michael Starr and Danielle Greyman-Kannard contributed to this article.  ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-05-04

At the heart of the wide verdant landscapes of the University of Victoria campus stands a fortress. The walls were made of interconnected wooden pallets, scrounged from across the campus and repurposed and redressed with pro-Palestinian messages. Banners, emblems and Palestinian flags were erected along the rampart walls. The barriers protected a settlement of canopies, tents, and tables. Erected just on Wednesday, UVic had become host to yet another encampment in emulation of the occupation of the , seeking to force the administration to adopt boycott, divestment, and sanctions policies. The activist contingent that manned the fortress stood out on the campus as much as the structure itself. Almost all of them covered their faces with surgical masks, vestiges of the coronavirus pandemic. Some seemed to wish to use the masks to conceal their identities, but working in the warm sun with only one security guard a hundred meters away and looking in the opposite direction, it seemed clear that many more still used the masks to protect against COVID-19. Many of the protesters wore black-and-white Palestinian or red Jordanian Keffiyehs, either as further concealment of identity or as a scarf. , according to what encampent spokespeople described, were divided into specializations and role. Some members served as security. Other members were seen acting as those responsible for resource collection and building of the defenses. On Thursday afternoon, the activists had continued to gather wooden pallets to add to the settlment's defensive walls. Others seemed to be in charge of propaganda, decorating signs and pallets, which drew in curious passing students who wanted to know why such a structure was established in the middle of their school. There seemed to have been at least one activist who had devoted themselves to training other members, as during a conversation with their spokespeople a person called on a loudspeaker that there was an impending session on "deescalation" procedure. The activists were almost universally wary of outsiders. The entrance to the compound had a checkpost with a sign that demanded that visitors "check in here." Rudimentary background checks seemed to be conducted, but they also seemed eager to share their mission and message with the media. Pro-Palestine placard at UVIC. Uploaded on 4/5/2024 (credit: MICHAEL STARR) Sitting on the grass in front of the encampment, representatives of the encampment explained to the The Jerusalem Post, that they were part of a liberation movement for Palestinian people, seeking to stop what they believed was a genocide and their institution's complicity with the state of Israel's actions. Like other encampments, they were calling for divestment from any companies or entities in any relationship with Israel, and a permanent and immediate ceasefire. They said that they did not have any unique demands particular to the Uvic arena, and when it came to the question of any particular Israel-associated elements that the Canadian university had to divest from they couldn't name any particular investments, but assured that they existed. In November, UVic Students in Solidarity with Palestine posted on Instagram that the university invested in Dassault Systemes, Cisco Systems, Siemens, Amphenol, BlackRock, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, and Bank of Montreal, most of which only have indirect business with Israeli actors through third parties or were civilian enterprises. The group also called to boycott Starbucks on campus because of former CEO Howard Schultz's Zionism and the company's lawsuit against Starbucks Workers United for a social media post proclaiming "solidarity with Palestine" two days after the October 7 Massacre. Activists also said that there were academic programs connected to Israeli universities, but didn't enter into specifics. There are professors educated at Israeli universities listed at UVic and at least one joint research between UVic and an Israeli institution, but does not appear to be a student exchange program. Despite the lack of clarity of the spokespeople and activists who manned the encampment and the tangential and residual connections to Israel and its military, one of the banners on the barrier declared "UVic funds the bombing of all schools in Gaza." When asked what was meant by their demands for a ceasefire, a student explained that it entailed not only a cessation of but an arms embargo and broader BDS action against Israel. UVic issued a statement on Thursday that they had "not yet received any direct communication from participants," but were "hopeful that we can continue the productive dialogue we have begun on the topic of divestment." The activists rejected the idea that the administration was awaiting contact from the encampment, assuring that they had been making demands since October, and the administration was well aware of them. While they cast the administration as an antagonistic force to their movement, they also noted that they had been visited and received much support from faculty and staff. There also appeared to have been a canopy in the encampment reserved for university workers, with a sign that read "faculty and staff." While Uvic's statement said that it was prohibited to erect tents and temporary structures, they "actively support peaceful demonstrations on our campus and the right to freedom of expression." "We are taking a calm and thoughtful approach to this demonstration and will work to minimize disruptions," UVic said on Wednesday. "Out of an abundance of caution, Campus Security may be monitoring access to buildings near the demonstration and may ask people for information prior to entering these buildings. Campus Security is liaising with Saanich and Oak Bay police to support a safe and inclusive environment." The protesters were critical of UVic's cooperation with the police and said that they were under surveillance by police, who had stationed forces with night vision systems to watch them from atop a nearby building overnight. Part of the demonstration's security precautions were against counter-protests, but they also said that only a handful of pro-Israel students had appeared to challenge them.   One of the Pro-Palestinian activists said that he would "rather not say" what he thought about the Hamas attack on October 7. The student's broader liberation movement included a myriad of causes, with several transgender students visiting the encampment, and one sign in a nearby building declaring allegiance to "indigenous feminist resistance from Turtle Island (North America) to Palestine." When asked about a banner that read "From the [Jordan] River to the Salish Sea," an activist representative explained that they were seeking "land back" across North America to the Levant. The activists seemed not to believe that these demands for indigenous Canadian lands could be met by the Liberal government, with a sign on the barrier that said: "Down with genocide [Prime Minister] Justin [Trudeau]." The activists believe that the securing of land will happen soon, though one spokesperson noted that he may be over-optimistic. Even so, at UVic, they too modified the slogan to chant "From the river to the sea, Palestine is almost free." They did not believe that the encampment movement would die out with the crackdown on the progenitor settlement at Columbia and that the "journey," as they called it, still had a long way to go. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-05-03

was closed for the day on Friday after a debate between the institute's leadership and students on the war in Gaza failed to ease tensions, prompting protesters to occupy it overnight. The elite political sciences university this week became the center of a wave of protests at several schools in France over the war and academic ties with Israel, although not on the same scale as seen in the United States. A group of around 70 students were occupying Sciences Po's main buildings in central Paris on Friday morning after having spent the night there, Jack, one of the protesters, told Reuters in a text message, adding: "By the way, the negotiations with leadership are making no progress." Sciences Po did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Local newspaper and Radio France Inter, citing an internal memo, reported the university was asking staff to work from home as university buildings were closed. Sciences Po's director on Thursday rejected demands by protesters to review the schools' relations with Israeli universities, prompting protesters to continue their movement with at least one person entering a hunger strike, according to a student speaking on behalf of the protesters. Youths take part in the occupation of a street in front of the building of the Sciences Po University in support of Palestinians in Gaza, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Paris, France, April 26, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/GONZALO FUENTES) The student protesters at Sciences Po have been among those most vocally anti-Israel on French campuses. In March, Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli accused pro-Palestinian students at the university ' entry to the school's Émile-Boutmy amphitheater. Chikli went on to draw parallels between the historical treatment of Jews in Europe and how the present Jewish students were treated. The French Jewish student union, Union des Etudiants Juifs de France, also reported that Jewish and Zionist students had been blockaded from the hall. Michael Starr contributed to this report. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-04-24

Noa Cochva, Miss Israel 2021, was attacked in New York during a in Times Square, in late March, the New York Post reported earlier this week.  According to the Post, the 25-year-old was slammed in the face with a protestor's placard. Cochva, who served as a medic in the IDF during the was touring New York as part of a Public Diplomacy Campaign, the Post noted, adding that her presence at the rally was part of a counter pro-Israel protest.  Cochva was cited by the Post as saying that the mob recognized her group due to the flag they were carrying. "They threw down our flag . . . and they came down and one of the guys hit me," she stated. An NYPD car. (credit: Wikimedia Commons) Following the event, Cochva shared a which she claimed illustrates the incident. In the video, a protestor appears to hit Cochva in the head with a poll.   According to the Post, Cochva further noted that the police forces at the scene had told her they were unable to do anything.  Cochva reportedly took legal action against the perpetrators of the assault on April 10. The New York Police Department told the Post that the investigation was underway, however, no arrests had been made.  Michael Starr contributed to this article.  ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-04-02

A worrying 38% of female prison guards say they've been sexually assaulted by Palestinian security prisoners, a report of Israel Prison Service's operations published in November 2022 revealed. As such, Israel’s State Comptroller, Matanyahu Englman, criticized on Tuesday the IDF for reportedly ordering female Cadets in Officers' Course to guard . Englman said such orders were in stark contrast with the 2022 female soldiers' protection report.  “It is not possible to accept the fact that after the State of Israel was hurt in the past by imprisoned terrorists who sexually harassed female prison guards, female cadets in the IDF will be tasked with guarding terrorists who were complicit in sexual crimes on October 7.  “If we add recent evidence that the hostages experienced sexual harassment - the writing is on the wall,” Engelman added. The comptroller also called on the Defense Minister and Chief of Staff to forgo the decision and avoid unnecessary risk to female soldiers. In 2021, , the police reopened its investigation into the Gilboa prison affair regarding events that occured in 2014-2017 in which Gilboa prison wardens stated they had been pimped out by an intelligence officer to Fatah prisoner Muhammad Atallah. In 2023, State Attorney Amit Aisman for former Gilboa Prison commander Bassem Kashkosh and former intelligence officer Rani Basha for failing duties and breach of trust. Shira Silkoff and Michael Starr contributed to this article.  ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-03-30

Pro-Palestinian protestors harassed individuals on a New York City street as they exited a for US President Joe Biden, as shown in videos posted to social media on Friday. In one video, a man wearing a keffiyeh calls a Jewish woman a “f***ing murderous k*ke” while a woman in a Hijab follows her down the street, yelling at her for supporting Israel. Pro-Palestinian protestors harassing a woman in New York following a fundraiser for President Biden. “Fucking murderous kike.”“Fucking die.”“Keep it moving bitch.” The reelection fundraiser featured former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. In addition to the former presidents, Stephen Colbert, Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, and Lea Michele were in attendance.  chanted against the US and Israel saying, “Down with the USA” and the “Al-Qassam are on their way”. Al-Qassam is the terrorist organization Hamas's armed wing. They also further targeted US President Joe Biden for his support of Israel in the ongoing war with Hamas, accusing the US of supporting "genocide" against the Palestinians. The protestors continued by claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would “pay” for his "crimes" against Gaza. Chanting, "Israel bombs, USA pays." Pro Palestinian protestors attack Jewish woman in NYC on March 28, 2024 (credit: SCREENSHOT/X) Antisemitic incidents against Jews across North America have risen since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7. As reported earlier in 2024, there has been a reported increase in antisemitic attacks targeting Jewish students with anti-Israel protests usually becoming violent. Michael Starr contributed to this report. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-03-28

A freelance photojournalist, Ali Mahmud, contributed to the Associated Press winning first place for the Team Picture Story of the Year last week for taking a photo of 's half-naked corpse as it was being driven away by Hamas terrorists on . According to the Pictures of the Year program's website, the category "recognizes the collaborative effort of a photography staff covering a single topic or news story. It is a narrative picture story that consists of images taken as part of a team effort to cover a single issue or news story." Other photos, mostly attributed to other photographers on behalf of the Press, took photos of destroyed or damaged buildings in Gaza, injured or dead Palestinians, Israeli mourning at funerals or fleeing from rockets attacks. The program posted news about the Press's victory, alongside Mahmoud's photo of Louk on Instagram, where they came under immense criticism from users. Louk's name is not mentioned anywhere in the program's Instagram post. "There is a dead body of a partially unclothed human being, a young woman who was brutally murdered and probably raped. This cannot be real. Please remove this photo," one user wrote, while another said "She has a name. Shani Louk. Her family specifically requested that we remember her laughing and living. Take this down and show some respect. If you want to post our Shani, find a photo she consented to." SOLDIERS PAY their respects at the Nova music festival site in November. ‘Beyond the sounds of the shofar, guns, music, prayers, livestock, and bombs, I also heard the whispers,’ says the writer. (credit: MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP) Mahmud, who took the photo of Louk, had his name mentioned in an earlier report when parents of Louk and other Nova massacre victims last month for their employment of photo-journalists who accompanied the terrorists on their pogrom, and contends that AP ignored close connections the photographers had to terrorist organizations, to which they said they nor have we seen any evidence – including in the lawsuit – that the freelance journalists who contributed to our coverage did." Michael Starr contributed to this report. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-03-19

Labor MK spoke in English on the Knesset plenum for the first time on Monday, where he addressed US Senate Majority Leader regarding his recent comments that Netanyahu was an obstacle to peace and that a new Israeli government was needed. Kariv said that Schumer's criticism of the Israeli government is reflected in his respect and support for Israel and its citizens, and that his words "introduced us to a different type of Jewish and Zionist leadership." Kariv thanked Schumer for his words of support for Israel after the October 7 massacre, stating that it "moved many of us and served as an example of the special relationship between American Jewry and the State of Israel. The uncompromisable support you’ve given Israel at its hardest time will never be erased from the history of the Jewish people." Directly addressing Schumer's critical comments at the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Kariv said "there are senior politicians in Israel who do not like your important words of warning.  Kariv said, "Together with many Israelis and with a large part of world Jewry, we thank you for your leadership and courage." MK Gilad Kariv reacts during a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on December 3, 2023 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90) The Labor MK finished his speech by discussing Jewish tradition and how it "teaches us an important lesson about the leaders who, in moments of crisis, hide behind diplomatic protocols instead of using their voices and acting to correct the dangerous reality." In response to Schumer, said, "he’s not opposing me, he's opposing the people of Israel." Schumer's initial comments on Netanyahu were criticized by American Jewish organizations, with the American Jewish Committee saying that "Israel is a sovereign democracy in the midst of a war of self-defense against a terrorist organization bent on massacring Jews and destroying Israel." Michael Starr contributed to this report. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-03-07

The High Court of Justice upheld a petition on Thursday to restore chairman Mishael Vaknin, after Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem fired him from his post in July.  The ministers said that Vaknin “was not fulfilling his role appropriately,” but the move was suspected to be politically motivated at the time, leading Michal Rosenbaum, then-Government Companies Authority director, to resign in protest, and in September the High Court issued an injunction preventing Vaknin’s dismissal.   Responding to the decision, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi accused the court of overstepping its bounds and inviting dysfunction in the postal service: “This ruling of the , which takes the authority out of the hands of elected officials but leaves them with the responsibility, is a fundamental violation going down to the root of the democratic system in the State of Israel.”  The Movement for Quality of Government in Israel welcomed the decision, saying in a statement that “the ruling illustrates the importance of the reasonableness standard as an essential tool for judicial review." The reasonableness standard is a common law doctrine that allows courts to engage in judicial review of administrative decisions, including dismissals of ministers, when it deems those decisions beyond what a reasonable and responsible authority would undertake. The government succeeded last summer in passing a law to repeal the doctrine, its first victory in a months-long attempt to reform the country’s judicial system, but the High Court in January, restoring the doctrine. Matan Wasserman and Michael Starr contributed to this report. ...قراءة المزيد

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2024-03-05

France is witnessing the rise of "a new Nazism," Marco, last week, told BFMTV earlier this week.  The victim, aged 62, recounted the incident on the French news outlet. According to him, after he had exited a synagogue in the 20th arrondissement in the French capital, he sat on the pavement in the street. The victim noted a person passing next to him, "looking at him fixedly," and seeming "excited." Three minutes later, the assailant returned, asking him, “Are you killing the people ?” Marco responded, “I don’t kill anyone,” after which the assailant punched and headbutted him. Marco says he then lost consciousness.  According to BFMTV, the assailant fled the scene on foot.   A French police officer stands guard at the Republic Square in Paris, France on November 14, 2015. (credit: Laurence Geai/Flash90) The victim said he sustained injuries, with his face heavily bruised, stitches in various places, and his nose broken.   Marco recounted that the street was empty, and no help was at hand. He further stated that following the incident, he felt “humiliated” for being unable to defend himself.  Regarding , Marco said, “I’m fed up,” adding, “I don’t feel that I’m in France.” “With antisemitism exploding, everyone allows themselves to insult” people, he stated. “There are protests in which we hear ‘down with the Jews,’ it makes me think of Word War II; it's a return of Nazism, a new Nazism. I fear this won’t end well,” he said.  When asked why he accepted to speak of the incident, Marco replied, “To show what happens in our times when we are Jewish…when we wear a Kippah.” “I could have died for nothing,” he said. “It’s wickedness.” “When you are Jewish, you are affected in your soul. You can’t imagine how much we [the Jews in France] are affected,” he concluded.  Earlier this week, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stated all measures were being taken to ensure the assailant was found.  Michael Starr contributed to this article.  ...قراءة المزيد

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