U.S. deaths of moms during childbirth have fallen to pre-pandemic levels. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
By: Mike Stobbe
U.S. deaths of moms around the time of childbirth have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels, new government data suggests.
About 680 women died last year during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth, according to provisional CDC data. That’s down from 817 deaths in 2022 and 1,205 in 2021, when it was the highest level in more than 50 years.
COVID-19 seems to be the main explanation for the improvement, said Donna Hoyert, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maternal mortality researcher.
The coronavirus can be particularly dangerous to pregnant women. And, in the worst days of the pandemic, burned out physicians may have added to the risk by ignoring pregnant women’s worries, experts say.
Fewer death certificates are mentioning COVID-19 as a contributor to maternal deaths. The count was over 400 in 2021 but fewer than 10 last year, Hoyert said.
The agency on Thursday released a report detailing the final maternal mortality data for 2022. It also recently released provisional data for 2023. Those numbers are expected to change after further analysis — the final 2022 number was 11% higher than the provisional one. Still, 2023 is expected to end up down from 2022, Hoyert said.
The CDC counts women who die while pregnant, during childbirth and up to 42 days after birth from conditions considered related to pregnancy. Excessive bleeding, blood vessel blockages and infections are leading causes.
There were about 19 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2023, according to the provisional data. That’s in line with rates seen in 2018 and 2019.
But racial disparities remain: The death rate in Black moms is more than two-and-a-half times higher than that of white and Hispanic mothers.
“In the last five years we’ve really not improved on lowering the maternal death rate in our country, so there’s still a lot of work to do,” said Ashley Stoneburner, the March of Dimes’ director of applied research and analytics.
The advocacy organization this week kicked off an education campaign to get more pregnant women to consider taking low-dose aspirin if they are at risk of preeclempsia — a high blood pressure disorder that can harm both the mother and baby.
There are other efforts that may be helping to lower deaths and lingering health problems related to pregnancy, including stepped-up efforts to fight infections and address blood loss, said Dr. Laura Riley, a New York City-based obstetrician who handles high-risk pregnancies.
But there’s a risk that those kinds of improvements are being offset by a number of factors that may reduce the ability of women to get medical care before, during and after a birth, she said. Experts say the list includes the closure of rural hospitals and a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that did away with the federally established right to abortion — and contributed to physician burnout by causing doctors to feel constrained about providing care during pregnancy-related medical emergencies.
“I think there’s good news. We’re making strides in certain areas,” said Riley, head OB-GYN at Weill Cornell Medicine. “But the bad news and scary news is … th
Billionaire George Soros is known for his substantial funding of progressive and anti-Israel causes worldwide. Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In recent months, President Joe Biden has found himself the target of intense scrutiny and protest by groups advocating for Palestinian rights, earning him the moniker “Genocide Joe.” According to an eye opening report that appeared on Sunday on the Politico.com web site, these protests, however, unfold against a backdrop of complex financial and ideological connections that link some of the same philanthropists who support these activist groups to efforts pushing for Biden’s reelection.
At the heart of these protests are two notable organizations, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and IfNotNow. Both groups have been active in staging demonstrations at academic institutions such as Columbia University. According to the information provided in the Politico.com report, these organizations are part of a larger network financially supported by the Tides Foundation, a major conduit of funding for various social change initiatives. This foundation itself benefits from the largesse of prominent Democratic benefactors, including George Soros and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Indicated in the Politico.com report was that Soros, known for his substantial funding of progressive and anti-Israel causes worldwide, as well as the Gates’, whose philanthropic efforts span a broad spectrum of global issues, indirectly support these protests through their contributions to Tides.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation support the Tides Foundation. Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
Moreover, the web of funding extends to other influential figures in the Democratic Party. David Rockefeller Jr., for instance, is a notable figure in this landscape. As a member of the board of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, he oversees an organization that in 2022 allocated $300,000 to the Tides Foundation, as was detailed in the Politico.com report. Over the past five years, Tides has funneled nearly $500,000 to JVP, an organization that openly identifies as anti-Zionist.
The Pritzker family, another powerhouse in Democratic circles and heirs to the Hyatt Hotel empire, also emerge as significant players. According to the Politico.com report, Susan and Nick Pritzker have not only contributed directly to Biden’s campaigns but their foundation supports groups involved in the pro-Hamas protests as well.
Critics might argue that this situation illustrates the complex allegiances and influence exerted by major donors, who manage to support seemingly contradictory causes — backing both a president and groups that vociferously criticize him.
Regardless of one’s perspective, it is clear that a small circle of wealthy individuals and families exert significant influence over both the political and activist landscapes. Their financial contributions continue to mold the contours of political debate and public policy in ways that resonate across the political spectrum, illustrating the powerful role that money plays in the democratic process.
The Pritzkers, known for their philanthropic endeavors through entities such as the Libra Foundation, have a broad impact on various social issues ranging from criminal justice to environmental and gender justice. This influence extends into more contentious areas, such as the funding of organizations involved in the protests following the October 7th attack by Hamas. Politico.com reported that notable among these are groups such as the Climate Justice Alliance, Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity, and the Immigrant Defense Project. These groups have participated in and supported protests that have included harsh critiques of U.S. policies and leadership, including slogans such as “Genocide Joe.”
David Rockefeller of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Credit: AP
The involvement of the Libra Foundation in these areas sheds light on the complex decisions that donors face when their contributions might indirectly support activism that goes beyond their original philanthropic intent. For instance, Politico.com reported that the Climate Justice Alliance’s participation in pro-Palestinian marches and Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity’s promotional activities for these demonstrations illustrate the breadth of issues that intertwine with environmental and social justice causes.
Revealed in the Politico.com report was that The Tides Foundation, another significant player funded in part by the Pritzkers, also supports organizations such the Adalah Justice Project and Palestine Legal. The Adalah Justice Project, known for its critical stance on university investments in companies that do business with Israel was involved in protests at Columbia University, Politico.com reported. Meanwhile, Palestine Legal provides legal support to pro-Hamas activists.
Recent developments have seen a surge in pro-Hamas student protests involving more aggressive tactics, including the occupation of university buildings and the voicing of statements that are blatantly anti-Semitic, as was noted in the Politico.com report. These actions have sparked a significant backlash, particularly from prominent donors within the Democratic Party, who are now questioning the implications of their financial contributions to such groups.
Jewish Voice for Peace has been at the forefront of these contentious demonstrations. Known for its vocal criticism of Israeli policies and its description of these as apartheid, JVP has not shied away from disruptive protests. Their activities reached a peak when they labeled President Joe Biden a “genocide supporter” during a high-profile fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The Politico.com report indicated that this particular incident came on the heels of JVP’s controversial stance on the October 7 attacks, where they pointed to “Israeli apartheid and occupation — and United States complicity in that oppression” as the root causes of the violence, a position that starkly contrasts with mainstream interpretations that squarely assign blame to the Hamas terrorists.
This stance has drawn criticism from within the donor community, including Elisha Wiesel, chair of the Elie Wiesel Foundation, known for its anti-genocide efforts. Speaking to Politico.com, Wiesel openly questioned why the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a notable financier of various nonprofit initiatives, would support JVP given their controversial positions on such sensitive issues. This inquiry calls attention to a growing concern among donors about the alignment of their philanthropic missions with the activities and rhetoric of grant recipients.
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, in response to the unfolding controversy, emphasized its commitment to nonpartisan support across a spectrum of policy ideas. Politico.com reported that Sarah Edkins, the fund’s communications director, stated, “Our grantees in all three portfolios support a broad range of policy ideas—some align with the Biden administration’s agenda and others conflict. This complexity is part and parcel of our nonpartisan work.” The Fund also clarified that it does not engage in political campaigning nor does it dictate the day-to-day operations of its grantees.
The Pritzker family, another powerhouse in Democratic circles and heirs to the Hyatt Hotel empire, also emerge as significant players. Credit: X.com
Also speaking to Politico.com was Kevin Conlon, a seasoned political fundraiser and adviser to nonprofits. He encapsulated this sentiment by acknowledging that there are inevitable moments when a donor’s support might inadvertently fuel actions that contradict their personal views. Having worked closely with figures such as President Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama, Conlon brings a nuanced perspective to the philanthropic strategies that underpin political and social campaigns, according to the Politico.com report.
This reality is echoed by voices from within the Jewish community, particularly in response to the recent surge in protests where anti-Semitic sentiments and support for Hamas have been reported. Daniel Goldwin, the public affairs executive director at the Jewish United Fund in Chicago, addressed the growing concerns arising within his community. The report on the Politico.com web site also noted that his organization, which disburses funds to both small local and larger national nonprofits, has been fielding calls from donors distressed by the idea that their contributions might indirectly support objectionable or harmful rhetoric. When speaking with Polltico.com, Goldwin advocated for proactive communication, urging donors to engage directly with organizations to express their concerns and seek clarity on the use of their funds.
The implications of these dynamics are far-reaching, particularly in the political arena. President Joe Biden, who garnered significant support from younger voters in the 2020 elections, finds himself in a precarious position as he attempts to navigate the fallout from the increasing intensity of protests, particularly those at Columbia University, Politico.com reported. These demonstrations have not only heightened scrutiny of Biden’s policies but have also stirred debates about the nature of peaceful protest. The Politico.com report also said that in a recent statement addressing the actions at Columbia, Biden emphatically denounced the destruction of property and disruption of educational activities, asserting that such actions do not constitute peaceful protests but are, in fact, unlawful activities.
Some party insiders suggest these demonstrations may not sway the broader electorate, particularly in a nation where foreign policy traditionally ranks lower on voters’ priority lists, Politico.com pointed out. However, the continuous nature of these protests might present a different scenario as the election season heats up.
Jill Zipin, co-founder and chair of the Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania, a political action committee aimed at electing Democrats in Pennsylvania, articulated a commonly held view among some party strategists. Zipin downplayed the potential electoral repercussions of the protest movements, particularly those related to U.S. foreign policy stances, suggesting that while the protests are visible now, they may not necessarily resonate as a critical issue come November, according to the information contained in the Politico.com report. Her perspective is rooted in the historical context that American elections seldom pivot solely on foreign policy issues unless they directly impact a significant portion of the electorate.
Conversely, Omar Wasow, a scholar who has extensively studied protest movements and their impact on political landscapes, offered a more nuanced view when speaking with Politico.com. Wasow suggested that the persistence of protests could elevate their significance in the public consciousness, particularly if they continue to escalate as the election approaches. Noted in the Politico.com report was that his analysis implies that while Americans typically exhibit a lukewarm interest in foreign policy, the ongoing visibility of such protests could shift this dynamic, especially if they begin to intersect more visibly with domestic concerns.
Further complicating the situation is the involvement of various nonprofits in these protests, many of which do not primarily focus on foreign policy but have found themselves increasingly drawn into these debates. Organizations such as Solidaire Action, represented by spokesperson Barni Qaasim, illustrate this trend. Solidaire Action funds social justice movements and, according to Qaasim, many of its members are engaged in actions aimed at holding President Biden accountable, as per the Politico.com report.
This layer of complexity is evident as nonprofits traditionally focused on domestic issues find themselves aligning with movements that have a strong foreign policy component. This alignment suggests a broader mobilization among grassroots organizations, which, while not directly opposing the Biden administration, are vocal in their demands for more definitive actions on international issues. This dynamic indicates a growing recognition within these groups that global issues such as those unfolding in the Middle East increasingly bear implications for domestic policies and political alignments.
Some donors, as noted by Conlon, may find themselves reconsidering their philanthropic strategies in light of the controversial outcomes associated with their donations, as was suggested in the Politico.com report.
Fierce Clashes Between Pro-Palestinian Protestors & Police Break Out in Athens
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In the heart of Athens on Tuesday, tensions flared as more than 300 protesters convened outside the parliament building, voicing their dissent against the recent Israeli military operations in the southern part of the Gaza Strip known as Rafah. According to a Reuters report, these protesters, many waving Palestinian flags and brandishing banners with slogans like “Hands off Rafah!”, represent a global outcry against the escalation of conflict in the region. Noted in the Reuters report was that among them was Antonis Davanellos, a 60-year-old pensioner, who emphasized the group’s solidarity with the Palestinian cause, declaring their readiness to respond whenever called upon.
The rally, while largely peaceful, saw moments of confrontation when a subset of protesters escalated their demonstrations to the gates of the Egyptian embassy across from the parliament, leading to police intervention with tear gas to manage the unruly crowd, as was indicated in the Reuters report. These clashes, though brief, illustrate the high emotions and tensions surrounding the international perceptions of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Earlier on Tuesday, a report surfaced of a group of rioters who attempted to break in to an Athens hotel where a group of Israelis were staying. Local Athens police rushed to the scene to regain control of the area surrounding the hotel and to quell the rancorous mob. Confirmation of the rioting report was not received.
On the battleground in Gaza, the situation remains grim. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry released staggering figures on Tuesday, reporting that 34,789 Palestinians have been killed and 78,204 injured since the conflict erupted seven months ago when Hamas launched a war on Israel through a brutal massacre of 1200 Israeli civilians and the abduction of 250 others. Reports indicated that approximately 133 hostages are believed to still be held in Gaza.
It is important to note that these figures from the Gaza health ministry include both combatants and non-combatants, and there are claims from sources close to the situation suggesting that these numbers may be skewed to garner international sympathy and to portray Israel as an aggressor without distinction.
In response, Israel has continued its military operations, particularly in Rafah, aiming to dismantle the military capabilities of Hamas. Israel asserts that these operations are crucial for its national security, especially given Rafah’s strategic importance as a conduit for humanitarian supplies.
On Monday, Hamas said it had told mediators it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal, but claimed that Israel rejected the deal. In reality, Hamas had crafted a new version of the deal at the last moment before the invasion of Rafah began. Reports are circulating that Israel had not been informed of any modifications of the ceasefire deal.
The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu on Monday forcefully rejected a claim made by an Israeli official suggesting that he was responsible for torpedoing the latest round of talks with Hamas in Cairo on a potential hostage and truce deal.
The suggestion, said a statement from Netanyahu’s office, is “a complete lie and a deliberate deception of the public.”
“Hamas is the one that sabotages any deal by not moving one millimeter from its extreme demands that no Israeli government could accept,” the statement from Netanyahu’s office continued, “first and foremost, that Israel withdraw from Gaza and end the war.”
(JNS) – Ella Chaimi, whose husband was murdered by Hamas during the terror group’s Oct. 7 massacre, has given birth to a healthy baby boy, the Rabin Medical Center’s Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah announced on Tuesday.
Tal Chaimi, 41, died seven months ago defending Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the northwestern Negev. It was initially thought that he had been taken alive to the Gaza Strip, but evidence that came to light late last year indicates that he died during the Hamas assault, after which the terror group kidnapped his remains.
The child is the couple’s fourth.
“This birth is filled with mixed emotions as I welcome into the world our child, who brings with him lots of joy,” stated Chaimi, according to the hospital. “I also remember Tal, who was a wonderful husband and father. I wish he was here with us right now.”
Idit Engel, a midwife at Beilinson, said, “Every labor and delivery is special, but this one was even more so, as this baby brings joy to a family who has suffered so much tragedy.”
Ella and her family have been through devastation and I hope that this baby brings them much joy,” she added.
Professor Arnono Weisnizer, who heads Beilinson’s gynecology department, noted that the family “has been through dark times,” adding that “the birth of this baby is a light for them and for the people of Israel.”
“I have known Ella for many years and have cared for her during her previous pregnancies. I know her and her family well, having previously worked in the Gaza Envelope, and my heart breaks for what they have gone through,” he said.
The NYT’s executive editor criticized Bari Weiss, who has since launched the independent news outlet “The Free Press.” Credit: X.com
NY Times Editor Rips Writer and Former Colleague, Bari Weiss
By: Ellen Cans
The New York Times’ executive editor publicly criticized former colleague Bari Weiss, who has since launched the independent news outlet “The Free Press.” As reported by the NY Post, Joe Kahn, who oversees all of the NY Times’ global newsroom operations, quipped about Weiss, telling Semafor News, “she’s got a single note, and keeps playing it up over and over again.” Weiss is also “missing a commitment to deeper reporting [at the Times] and a willingness to kind of look at issues from a 360 perspective that if you were only reading Bari Weiss’ version, you would expect never existed,” Kahn said.
Weiss worked as an opinion writer and editor at the NY Times from 2017 to 2020, and then left the Times and founded The Free Press in January 2021, expanding her Substack newsletter entitled “Common Sense”. Weiss’ exit from the NY Times had made quite a stir, as the 40-year-old journalist had posted her resignation letter on her news organization’s website.
In it, she had criticized “the paper’s failure to anticipate the outcome of the 2016 election,” which Weiss said “meant that it didn’t have a firm grasp of the country it covers.” “The lessons that ought to have followed the election — lessons about the importance of understanding other Americans, the necessity of resisting tribalism, and the centrality of the free exchange of ideas to a democratic society — have not been learned,” Weiss wrote, adding that “Twitter has become its ultimate editor” and the NY Times has become “a kind of a performance space.”
Weiss didn’t immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment regarding Kahn’s criticism.
Despite Kahn’s harsh words, he admitted to Semafor that he still reads The Free Press.
“She’s built a whole media organization around combating and what she sees is excess of The New York Times and elsewhere,” Kahn added of Weiss, noting that the site still has “valuable reporting.” He added, “I think there’s some stuff that they’re doing that is worth paying attention to. Do I think she’s right about the [Times]? Not really, no.”
When asked about the upcoming election in November, and whether it’s his job to help Joe Biden win the matchup against GOP nominee Donald Trump, Kahn said that the NY Times is a “pillar” of democracy but not a tool of power. Kahn did admit, however that the Times presents “a much more favorable view of Biden’s conduct over foreign policy at a difficult time than the polling shows the general public believes.” “I think the general public actually believes that he’s responsible for these wars, which is ridiculous, based on the facts that we’ve reported,” Kahn told Semafor, adding that the Times doesn’t make a big deal about Biden’s age like other papers do.
AllSides, which measures media bias ratings for news organizations, has identified the NY Times as left leaning, meaning its content “aligns with liberal, progressive or left-wing thought and/or policy agendas.” By AllSide’s standards, the Free Press has no lean and is categorized as “center”.
Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) celebrated Israel’s upcoming Independence Day next to an anti-Israel encampment on campus.
In a video posted to X, students were seen listening to a speaker who remained hopeful that the encampment would be taken down “in the very near future.” Several people in the crowd could be seen draping the Israeli flag around their bodies.
There’s an Israeli Independence Day celebration taking place next to the MIT anti-Israel encampment right now. pic.twitter.com/XtYGPDDdiL
“Hopefully, in the very near future, you’re going to see this encampment go down,” the speaker said. “That’s our goal.”
The speaker then invited students in the encampment to “celebrate” with the group, adding that they were “about to be suspended.”
“Everybody in the encampment is welcome here to celebrate with us, the State of Israel,” the speaker said. “Although they’re about to be suspended, some of them are in the process of being suspended and expelled. So, but, for now, you can come and celebrate with us if you still want to.”
On Monday, MIT Chancellor Melissa Nobles sent a letter to students threatening to place students on “interim academic suspension” if they did not leave the encampment by 2:30 p.m. on Monday.
In her letter, Nobles said the encampment, which was established on April 21, was “in violation of MIT policies.”
Despite most of the tents from the encampment being removed, protesters reclaimed their encampment later that evening.
In a statement issued on Monday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Executive Vice President and Treasurer Glen Shor, and Nobles wrote:
At midday, Student Life staff handed a written advisory to students making clear that if they didn’t leave the encampment by 2:30 p.m., they would face discipline. By 2:30, most students had left the enclosed tent area. Five remained, and many students gathered right outside the encampment.
Around that time, a large number of outside demonstrators arrived, in part because of a call on social media to students in the area to join our students, and in part because of a planned public protest. Cambridge police and state police were present to assist MIT police in managing the crowd. At around 6:00 p.m., an individual jumped over the fencing surrounding the remaining tents, causing a surge, and soon the area was breached.
In response to the protesters reoccupying their encampment, Nobles issued a letter informing them that “dozens of interim suspensions and referrals to the Committee on Discipline,” had been made.
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its 114-year-old name, according to a statement from the tech sector CEO who runs the fabled organization, in what seems to be a bid to deny the reality that boys are different from girls.
The new sexually-neutral name –“Scouting America” — will send “a really strong message to everyone in America that they can come to this program, they can bring their authentic self,” said Roger Krone, the organization’s president and CEO.
Krone’s “authentic self” phrase matches language used by transgender activists who oppose the public recognition that boys and girls, women and men, have different needs and desires. The pro-transgender activists insist that young children can create their individual sexual persona and “gender,” regardless of their male or female nature.
“They can be who they are, and they will be welcomed here,” added Krone, who until recently was the chief of Leidos, a consulting company in defense and healthcare. The scouting organization’s National Executive Board also includes other business leaders.
Krone suggested that the organization’s focus on boys hinders recruitment at a time when more young boys are spending their time glued to semi-addictive social media machines.
The scouting organization was created in 1910 to encourage urban boys to channel their physical energy into hiking and camping. The focus recognized that young boys are different from young girls, and it proved highly successful as urban parents wanted their boys to build competence and confidence.
But times changed, and the organization accepted gay boys in 2013, validated gay leaders in 2015, and welcomed girls in 2018. The Associated Press reported on May 7:
After a high point over the last decade of over 2 million members in 2018, the organization currently services just over 1 million youths, including more than 176,000 girls and young women. Membership peaked in 1972 at almost 5 million.
The organization’s decision to ignore the differences between boys and girls was cheered by some adults. The AP reported:
Within days of the announcement that girls would be allowed, Bob Brady went to work. A father of two girls and a proud Eagle Scout himself, the New Jersey attorney eagerly formed an all-girls troop. At their first weekend gathering with other troops, the boys were happy to have the girls involved but some adult leaders seemed concerned, he recalled. Their worries seemed to melt away as soon as the girls led a traditional cheer around the campfire.
“You could see a change in the attitude of some of the doubters who weren’t sure and they realized, wait, these kids are exactly the same, they just happen to have ponytails,” said Brady. His daughters are among the 13 girls in his troop and the 6,000 girls nationwide who have achieved the vaunted Eagle Scout rank. [emphasis added]
Krone doubled down on the ideological claim that there are no significant differences — often described as “gender differences” — between the two complementary and cooperating sexes.
“Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to teaching young people to be Prepared. For Life,” Krone said in a statement. “This will be a simple but very important evolution as we seek to ensure that everyone feels welcome in Scouting.”
“Membership is at historic lows, right?” he told the AP. “Part of my job is to reduce all the barriers I possibly can for people to accept us as an organization and to join.”
Krone also suggested that scouts should respect each other, regardless of motives and merits. “Scouting America provides a welcoming, safe environment where youth can become the best version of themselves by learning from and respecting each other,” he added in the statement.
However, the scouts’ long-standing recognition of competition among boys and sexual distinctions between boys and girls has been an attraction for millions of young boys who preferred to avoid female company, oversight, and conflict.
Moreover, very few young boys claim to be transgender, suggesting that the group will gain few new members from the transgender-friendly policy.
The eclipse of the Boy Scouts was touted by journalists eager to celebrate its new “inclusive” nature denying the popular and useful recognition that men and women — and boys and girls — are equal, different, and complementary.
U.S. Department of Education. Credit: DC Stock Photography/Shutterstock.
(JNS) The U.S. Department of Education announced on Tuesday that it is probing Columbia University, the City University of New York “central office,” Emory University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the North East Independent School District in San Antonio for allegedly violating Title VI in the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
The investigations relate to “shared ancestry,” which includes discrimination of Israelis and Jews. The department does not share details of its open investigations, but a listing on its website notes that Columbia and Emory as being probed for alleged Title VI violations based on “national origin discrimination involving religion.”
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Laura Diamond, assistant vice president of university communications at Emory University, confirmed to JNS that the Atlanta, Ga. private school received the Title VI complaint from the Education Department and that it intends to respond.
“We are unable to discuss an open investigation,” she told JNS.
Samantha Slater, director of communications for media relations at Columbia University, told JNS that “We’re going to decline comment on a pending investigation.”
JNS also sought comment from CUNY, UNC Chapel Hill and the San Antonio school district.
UNC Chapel Hill, which received an “F” grade from the Anti-Defamation League in its recent “report card” on campus antisemitism, was the target of a U.S. Education Department probe for alleged Title VI discrimination for “national origin discrimination involving religion” opened on Dec. 23.
Per a copy of the complaint that the department released, a professor at the public school referred to the existence of the State of Israel as “somewhat ridiculous,” and a speaker at a UNC event said that Zionism is a “cancer” and that “Oct. 7, for many of us from the region, was a beautiful day. It was a day on which we saw … men break out of a concentration camp.”
UNC Chapel Hill was also the target of a Title VI investigation related to alleged religious discrimination in February 2023.
There are currently eight open Title VI investigations probing CUNY based on potential violations related to religion.
Two Columbia Business School professors told JNS that the Education Department’s investigation of their employer is necessary.
“Antisemitic protests, threats and violence were a regular part of Columbia University life for more than six months,” Ran Kivetz, a marketing professor at the school, and Awi Federgruen, professor of management and chair of decision, risk and operations, told JNS in a joint statement.
“Columbia faculty members harassed Jewish students, whose tuition pays their salaries,” the two Columbia professors said. “The perpetrators of antisemitism on Columbia’s campus have not been disciplined.”
The duo, which has defended Israel against charges of causing starvation in Gaza, criticized the “inexplicable” decision of Columbia president Minouche Shafik to “appease the Hamas-supporters” by considering demands to boycott Israel.
“She also created a moral equivalency between the campus riots and past protests against apartheid in South Africa,” they said.
The front page of the New York Times reads “Palestinian Militants Stage an Attack on Israel.” The Washington Post declares “Israel ‘At War’ After Hamas Attack.” What is shockingly absent, what neither headline includes, is language that accurately describes what happened the day before. Nothing calls it what it was.
On October 7, terror came to Israel, with a level of precision, and on a scale she had never experienced before. The terrorists targeted civilians, women, children, and peace-loving concertgoers. They committed acts of such extreme savage brutality that they defy imagination. For Jews, it was an emotional atomic bomb, the impact of which sent shockwaves that rocked and shook the souls of our people around the world. Including me.
I’ve felt helpless in the face of what has happened since that day. And those who would politicize or justify what happened that day, or even deny that it happened at all, spin the false narratives that have been flying through the ether of social media, screamed on college campuses, and poisoning the reporting of news since the October 8. Israel is constantly demonized, and those who simply believe in her right to exist are now the villains and oppressors of the world. The result is an exponential rise in overt antisemitism, considered by some to be just what we deserve.
But then this came along — the opportunity to do something positive in these turbulent times. Daunting in scope, it has been both an empowering and truly humbling experience.
October 7 is testimony — a collective sharing of traumatic memory. It isn’t political. It isn’t commentary. Our only job was to find the balance between the devastation of what these people experienced, and the incredible force of hope and resilience that they embody, and to share that with the audience through the truth of their words. We committed ourselves as a company to ensure that the authentic voices of these remarkable people are heard so that others might be touched by their humanity and extraordinary resilience. And I have no doubt that you will be.
Shalom.
Geoffrey Cantor ( Director: October 7: In Their Own Words)
This astonishing play takes you into the heart of the October 7th attacks against Israelis of all ages, ethnicities, and circumstances.
Stories of horror and heroics are presented verbatim, using only the words of those who experienced the attacks and dealt with the aftermath.
Despite pain and loss, these are also stories of hope, resilience, and even humor.
Don’t miss this historic opportunity to bear witness to the tragedy and heroism of those who endured October 7th. In their own words.
Never again is now.
When: Now thru-June 16, 2024
Where: Actors Temple Theatre 339 W. 47th St, NY 10036\
TJV Readers can get discounted tickets now, by clicking here:TICKET OFFER
Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you very much. I am Eric Adams, the mayor of this amazing city, New York, and, I can almost recall, like it was yesterday, that Commissioner Iscol came to me with a record dealing with the loss of my Uncle Joe, who died in Vietnam at 19-years-old.
He was hesitant to give it to me, because you think the pain of losing someone that fights to defend this country, you bury it. Then there was a sad reality of knowing, at 19, he lost his life defending this country.
That is why we’re here today. I want to be extremely clear. In spite of the unpopular notion that people don’t want to say it, I want to say it. I love America. I love America. I’m proud to be a citizen of America. The reason we are here is because of men and women like this statue behind us. We cannot remain silent when our symbols of freedom are desecrated by individuals who clearly hate our country and hate our way of life.
I am not going to remain silent. We should not remain silent, because our silence gives the belief that everything is okay and it is not okay. Not only was this statue desecrated, but down the block, another statue was desecrated. We know how important free speech is to this country. It’s the core of our democracy, one that many Americans, like the symbols of these men, fought and ensured that it would stay intact. It’s a unique qualification that this country is so proud to have.
The right to free speech, the right to protest the right, is something that we will always fight to keep in place. These heroes of World War I, who this memorial is honored by, and if you look closely and read the history of this memorial, it is not like others where they lift up generals and high-ranking individuals. This memorial is reflected of the common man, the common woman, everyday soldiers who died and sacrificed their lives on the field of battle. And it’s painful. It’s painful for me, and it’s painful for others, and I’m sure it’s painful for my two commissioners who are here, who fought and served this country, to watch this desecration take place right in front of them in the country that they defended and fought for.
Being vandalized by cowards, in the name of protest, one of the very freedoms that is enshrined in the memorial of the individuals who are here and died. And it’s at the face of what commissioner has done, Sue Donoghue, has done for years to keep our parks at the level of care and nurture. This is at the foot of what children play and what we believe should be a symbol of our strength.
They are crimes, and they will be treated as one. Today, I’m announcing $5,000 of my personal money for the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for this act. Crime Stoppers, they also joined me. They have announced a $10,000 reward as well in the Crime Stopper tips hotline. We’re going to be handing out these flyers for people in the areas who may have witnessed what happened. We’re going to canvas the area. We’re going to treat this crime with the seriousness that it deserves.
Detective Kenny is here, Commissioner Daughtry and Chief Chell, they’re here. This is a top priority for us to solve this crime. I’m not just putting my money where my mouth is. I’m going to put it where my heart is. My heart is in this city and in this country, and I would not stand by while people desecrate memorials for those who fought for democracy and human rights.
The same rights that they are calling for, they are desecrating the lives of people who fought for that. I want to assure New Yorkers that our city will not tolerate chaos and disorder, even if those who are creating it claim to be doing so in the name of peace. We want [you] to bring your anger and passion to the protests, but don’t bring your hate, don’t bring your violence and don’t bring your disorder. Threaten to change history, but let’s not threaten each other.
I want to thank everyone from the Parks Department and the Central Park Conservancy for immediately removing — you still see remnants of the graffiti that was placed here because of the porousness of the bricks, but they did a good job to immediately address the issues that’s in front of us with the desecration. Their quick response and cleanup sent the right message. We’re going to immediately respond, and we’re working to address the additional acts of vandalism just down the street at Grand Army Plaza, the Manhattan Grand Army Plaza, not the one in Brooklyn.
We’re going to be swift with our response. We’re going to be swift with our actions, and we’re going to be swift to ensure those who attempt to bring disorder to the city would not accomplish their task. This is the greatest city on the globe because it’s in the greatest country on the globe. We’re able to say that because of the men and women who placed their lives on the line to sacrifice for that freedom. One of those is the commissioner of the Office of Emergency Management who fought for this country. I want to bring him up now. Commissioner Iscol.
Commissioner Zach Iscol, New York City Emergency Management: Thank you, sir. Thank you. Thank you all for being here today. Mr. Mayor, thank you for your words. Thank you for your support for the veterans community and thank you for setting this standard.
Last summer, I took my son, Wolf, to Normandy for the 79th anniversary of Normandy in World War II. A different war than the memorial behind us, which is World War I. We walked the beaches where his great-grandfather, my grandfather, landed. We went to the cemetery at Normandy. There’s a quote on the wall at the cemetery that sort of amounts to the fact that Americans have fought overseas, and all that we’ve asked for is enough land to bury our dead. All that we’ve asked for is enough land to bury our dead.
As the mayor said, this memorial behind us is different than all the other memorials. This is a one to the Doughboys. This is one to the World War I men who went off and fought for our country. They believed in something. They believed in the promise of America. Over 500 of them didn’t make it home. On the way up here, I printed out the names of some of those men. I was looking at them, their ages, so much life that was unlived. I thought about my battalion. I served in one of the hardest-hit battalions of the Iraq War, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines.
We lost 33 Marines in combat. Over half our battalion, 576 Marines were wounded. I think about what those Marines and sailors gave their life for. I think about what we owe them in terms of what we do with our lives. Some of those guys that I served with, we have conversations ranging the political perspective.
Some of them have gone off and fought in Ukraine. Some of them are marching in these protests. Some of them are doing the best they can to give meaning to their lives because they were the ones fortunate enough to go home. With those Marines that I served with, we’ve had all sorts of conversations about things we vehemently disagree about. We’ve had conversations. The last way to have a conversation is doing what these folks did to this memorial. That is not the start of a conversation. That is desecration. I’m glad we live in a city and we have a mayor that won’t stand for that. I’m proud to bring up my colleague, the commissioner, Colonel James Hendon. James. Thank you.
Commissioner James Hendon, Department of Veterans’ Services: Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is James Hendon. I serve as commissioner for the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services. I just want to take a moment to speak about this monument in general, just from our friends at the Parks Department. Dedicated September 29, 1927, this is the 107th Infantry Memorial. It is one of eight World War I monuments in Central Park, and it’s Central Park’s largest war memorial.
Four point seven members — 4.7 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces served in World War or the Great War: 204,000 were wounded, 116,516 died. This monument recognizes 350 men who died from the 107th and 900 who were wounded over a two-day period. The lineage traces back to the Revolutionary War for the 107th, and the sculpture symbolizes seven men bursting through from the woods, breaking the Hindenburg Line in Germany in September of 1918. When we look at those who served, past and present, our commitment to these men and women and their families throughout time as a nation, a state, a city, as an administration, our commitment transcends death.
To pan back, the country’s been around for 247, going on 248 years, in that time, 45 Americans have served in 12 major conflicts, 1.5 million wounded in action, 81,000 missing, 658,088 killed. What is bitter in its irony is that all who sacrificed and all who died would sacrifice and die again in order to protect the rights and freedoms of the very people who burned the flag and vandalized this monument yesterday evening.
Of those who have and do fulfill military service, we are all races. We are all creeds. We are all genders, all disability types, all sexual orientations, all colors, all classes, all religions. That our allegiance is transcendent is what makes our country so strong. The power of America lies in our freedoms and our diversity.
With that, rather than give the vandals what they wanted and speaking about whatever they want it on their terms, we choose to take the narrative back and make sure that military veterans and their families know that this city and this administration has their back at all times.
As to our veteran community members, please know that the New York City Department of Veterans Services can be reached at 212-416-5250. Email is [email protected]. Website is nyc.gov/vets. Social media handle is @nycveterans. On issues ranging from healthcare to housing, to benefits, to culture, to education or employment, we’re here. To anyone who is angry right now, because I’m angry too, I just want to say that. To anyone who is angry right now, we urge you to turn that anger into positive actions. Take steps to help do right by our military sisters and brothers and their families, past and present. We owe them that. Thank you.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. Over to any questions, if there are any.
Question: John Townsend, CBS News. I saw the flier. It’s $10,000 for Crime Stoppers and an additional $5,000 from your own money, so $15,000. Right?
Mayor Adams: Yes. Yes. Yes. Dedicated in the name of my uncle, 19-year-old Uncle Joe.
Question: Newsmax, do you have any leads on who these people might be?
Mayor Adams: Chief of Detectives Kenny is, we are, tracing down the leads, and we’re asking anyone based on the fliers, the Crime Stoppers fliers, we’re going to be posting this around. Every information will help us, there’s a few social media leads we have, but we’re going to continue to focus on that, but we’re asking whomever, witness anything, to please let the New York City Police Department know
In this courtroom sketch, Stormy Daniels testifies on the witness stand as Judge Juan Merchan looks on in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York.. A photo of Donald Trump and Daniels from their first meeting is displayed on a monitor. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
(AP) — Porn actor Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday in the hush money case against Donald Trump, who looked on as she detailed their alleged sexual encounter and the payment she got to keep it quiet.
Prosecutors allege Trump paid Daniels to keep quiet about the claims as he ran for president in 2016. Her testimony aired them very publicly as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee seeks to win the White House again.
Trump denies having sex with Daniels, and his lawyers unsuccessfully pushed for a mistrial midway through her testimony.
The case centers on a $130,000 payment to Daniels from Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, in the final weeks of Trump’s 2016 campaign. Prosecutors say it was part of a scheme to illegally influence the campaign by burying negative stories about him.
In this courtroom sketch, Stormy Daniels testifies on the witness stand as Judge Juan Merchan looks on in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York.. A photo of Donald Trump and Daniels from their first meeting is displayed on a monitor. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
His lawyers have sought to show that Trump was trying to protect his reputation and family — not his campaign — by shielding them from embarrassing stories about his personal life.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, told jurors that she started exotic dancing in high school and appearing in adult films at age 23, eventually moving on to direct more than 150 films and winning a roster of porn industry awards.
Daniels testified she first met and chatted with Trump at a 2006 Lake Tahoe celebrity golf outing where her studio was a sponsor.
He referred to her as “the smart one” and asked her if she wanted to go to dinner, she said. Daniels testified that she accepted Trump’s invitation because she wanted to avoid dinner with her co-workers and thought it might help her career. Trump had his bodyguard get her number, she said.
Stormy Daniels testifies in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York, about the encounter in former President Donald Trump’s hotel penthouse, showing how she found Trump in his bedroom lying on his bed. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
When they met up later in his penthouse, she appreciated that he seemed interested in the business aspects of the industry rather than the “sexy stuff.” He also suggested putting her on his TV show, “The Apprentice,” a possibility she hoped could help establish her as a writer and director.
She left to use the bathroom and was startled to find Trump in his underwear when she returned, she said. She didn’t feel physically or verbally threatened but realized that he was “bigger and blocking the way,” she testified.
Stormy Daniels, second from left, exits the courthouse in New York, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Porn actor Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, took the stand mid-morning Tuesday and testified about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, among other things. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
“The next thing I know was: I was on the bed,” and they were having sex, Daniels recalled. The encounter was brief but left her “shaking,” she said. “I just wanted to leave,” she testified.
PAYMENTS FOR SILENCE
Daniels was asked if Trump ever told her to keep things between them confidential and said, “Absolutely not.” She said she learned in 2011 that a magazine had learned the story of their encounter and she agreed to do an interview for $15,000 to make money and “control the narrative.” The story never ran.
Former President Donald Trump gestures to reporters as he returns to the courtroom after a break in his trial, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)
Former President Donald Trump, joined by his attorney Susan Necheles, left, sits at the defense table in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)
In 2016, when Trump was running for president, Daniels said she authorized her manager to shop the story around but did not initially receive interest from news outlets. She said that changed in October with the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump bragged about grabbing women sexually without asking permission. She said she learned that Cohen wanted to buy her silence.
MISTRIAL PUSH
Midway through her testimony, Trump’s lawyers moved for a mistrial.
Defense lawyer Todd Blanche argued that Daniels’ testimony about the alleged encounter and other meetings with him had “nothing to do with this case,” and would unfairly prejudice the jury.
The judge rejected it, and he faulted defense attorneys for not raising more of their objections while she was testifying.
Before Daniels took the stand, Trump’s lawyers had tried to stop her from testifying about the encounter’s details, saying it was irrelevant in “a case about books and records.”
Prosecutors countered that Daniels’ testimony gets at what Trump was trying to hide and they were “very mindful” not to draw too much graphic detail. Before Daniels took the stand, they told the judge the testimony would be “really basic,” and would not “involve any details of genitalia.”
While the judge didn’t side with Trump’s lawyers, he acknowledged that some details were excessive. The objections could potentially be used by Trump’s lawyers if he is convicted and they file an appeal.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
Trump’s lawyers tried to attack Daniels’ credibility, suggesting she was motivated by money and that her account has shifted over the years.
“Am I correct that you hate President Trump?” Defense lawyer Susan Necheles asked Daniels at one point. Daniels acknowledged she did.
“And you want him to go to jail?” the lawyer asked.
“I want him to be held accountable,” Daniels said. Pressed again whether that meant going to jail, she said, “If he’s convicted.”
The defense pressed Daniels on the fact that she owes Trump hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees stemming from an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit and on a 2022 tweet in which she said she “will go to jail before I pay a penny.” Daniels dug in at times in the face of pointed questions, forcefully denying the idea that she had tried to extort Trump.
TRUMP IN COURT
Trump whispered frequently to his attorney during Daniels’ testimony, and his expression seemed to be pained at one point as she recounted details about the dinner she says they shared. He shook his head and appeared to say something under his breath as Daniels testified that Trump told her he didn’t sleep in the same room as his wife.
At one point, the judge told defense lawyers during a sidebar conversation — out of earshot of the jury and the public — that he could hear Trump “cursing audibly” and see him shaking his head, according to a transcript of the proceedings.
“I am speaking to you here at the bench because I don’t want to embarrass him,” Judge Juan Merchan told Blanche, Trump’s lawyer. Blanche assured the judge he would talk to his client.
“You need to speak to him. I won’t tolerate that,” the judge said.
On the way out of the courthouse, Trump called it “a very revealing day.” He didn’t address Daniels’ testimony explicitly but claimed the prosecutors’ case was “totally falling apart.”
A JARRING SPLIT SCREEN
Trump’s appearance in court Tuesday, like all other days he’s stuck in the courtroom, means he can’t be out on the campaign trail as he runs for president a third time. It’s a frequent source of his complaints, but Daniels’ testimony in particular might underscore how much of a distraction the trial is from the business of running for president.
While Trump was stuck in a Manhattan courthouse away from voters and unable to speak for much of the day, his rival, Democratic President Joe Biden, was attending a Holocaust remembrance ceremony and condemning antisemitism.
It’s an issue Trump has sought to use against Biden in the campaign by seizing on the protests at college campuses over the Israel-Hamas war.
____
Whitehurst reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Michael Sisak, Jennifer Peltz, Jake Offenhartz and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this story.
Gazans in Rafah, protest Hamas control over aid, on February 28, 2024. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)
By Baruch Yedid, TPS
As Israeli forces took control of the Rafah border crossing and tanks were seen patrolling the length of the Gaza-Egypt border on Tuesday, residents of Rafah speculated what would happen next.
Some Palestinians told The Press of Service of Israel that they believe the Israel Defense Forces will remain for a long time at the border crossing and along the border itself to thwart Hamas weapons smuggling through subterranean tunnels leading into the Sinai.
“In such a case, there is a serious fear that the aid will not arrive, but on the other hand, maybe now that the IDF controls the aid that comes from Rafah, Hamas will not be able to take over,” one Palestinian who found refuge in a hospital told TPS-IL.
He added, “In a large part of the displaced persons’ tents in the entire area of southern Gaza, the residents can be heard cursing Yahya Sinwar as the one who brought disaster on them. We are now experiencing the greatest nakba in the history of the Palestinian people.”
Rafah’s Mayor, Ahmed al-Sufi told TPS-IL that around 150,000 residents of the city have fled and worries, “That there is not enough infrastructure and services in the areas of medicine, water, shelter and food in the open areas in Mawasi.”
He was referring to a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza’s coastal area where Israel instructed residents of certain Rafah areas to relocate.
Other residents were instructed to evacuate to a humanitarian zone in Khan Yunis.
Israel seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt after launching an overnight ground operation in parts of the southern Gaza city.
“Following intelligence that indicated that the Rafah Crossing in eastern Rafah was being used for terrorist purposes, IDF troops obtained operational control of the Gazan side of the crossing,” the army said.
Ground troops and fighter jets struck and eliminated Hamas terror targets in the Rafah area including military facilities and underground sites.
According to the IDF, 20 Hamas terrorists have been killed and three operational tunnel shafts were found since the operation began.
On Sunday, Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from the area of the Rafah border crossing and near an area where displaced Palestinians were sheltering in tents.
The barrage targeted the Kerem Shalom border crossing, killing four soldiers. Of all the Gaza border crossings, Kerem Shalom is equipped to handle the most humanitarian aid trucks daily.
The crossing has been closed since the attack.
Hamas’s control of the Rafah border crossing allowed it to hijack humanitarian aid deliveries from Egypt.
In recent days, residents of certain Rafah neighborhoods received phone calls, SMS messages, air-dropped flyers, and media broadcasts instructing them to evacuate to expanded humanitarian zones in Khan Yunis and the coastal area of Al-Mawasi.
The flyers included maps showing the affected zones, and aid organizations were updated on the evacuation plans.
Also receiving messages to evacuate were displaced Palestinians camping in a strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border known as the Philadelphi corridor.
This buffer zone was created to prevent weapons smuggling after Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2006. But in 2007, Hamas violently seized control of Gaza from the PA.
The Egypt-Gaza border is politically sensitive, technically a demilitarized zone under the terms of the Camp David Accords signed in 1978.
At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Around 30 of the remaining 133 hostages are believed dead.
The order from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had been expected in light of still-unresolved issues in the case and because Trump is currently on trial in a separate case in Manhattan charging him in connection with hush money payments during the 2016 presidential election. The New York case involves several of the same lawyers representing him in the federal case in Florida.
Cannon said in a five-page order Tuesday that it would be “imprudent” to finalize a new trial date now, casting further doubt on federal prosecutors’ ability to bring Trump to trial before the November presidential election.
Trump faces dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida classified documents that he took with him after he left the White House in 2021, and then obstructing the FBI’s efforts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.
Trump faces four criminal cases as he seeks to reclaim the White House, but outside of the New York prosecution, it’s not clear that any of the other three will reach trial before the election.
The Supreme Court is weighing Trump’s arguments that he is immune from federal prosecution in a separate case from special counsel Jack Smith charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia have also brought a separate case related to election subversion, though it’s not clear when that might reach trial.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo Credit: AP
JNS)
Hamas’s unilateral ceasefire proposal failed to thwart the Israel Defense Forces’ operation against the terror group’s last bastion of Rafah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday evening.
“Hamas’s proposal was intended to torpedo our forces’ entry into Rafah. It did not happen,” the premier stated in remarks shared by his office.
“Last night, with the approval of the War Cabinet, I gave the order to operate in Rafah. Within hours, our forces raised Israeli flags at the Rafah Crossing and took down the Hamas banners,” said Netanyahu.
“Seizing the Rafah Crossing is a very significant step towards destroying the remaining military capabilities of Hamas, including the elimination of the four terrorist battalions in Rafah, and an important step to damage the governmental capabilities of Hamas,” he continued.
The Israeli leader reiterated that the ceasefire terms proposed by Hamas, which Egypt and Qatar devised without consulting with Jerusalem, are still “very far” from what the country’s War Cabinet deems acceptable.
“Israel will not allow Hamas to restore its evil regime in the Gaza Strip, Israel will not allow it to restore its military capabilities and continue to seek our destruction. Israel cannot accept a proposal that endangers the security of our citizens and the future of our country,” he explained.
The premier said he instructed the delegation to Cairo to “stand firm on the conditions needed for the release of our hostages; continue to stand firm on the essential requirements for guaranteeing Israel’s security.”
Meanwhile, the operation in Rafah will help achieve the destruction of Hamas and the return of the 132 hostages, according to Netanyahu.
“We have already proven with the previous release of the hostages—military pressure on Hamas is a prerequisite for the return of our hostages,” he charged.
‘Meant to present Israel as the refuser’
The IDF began operating in “a targeted manner” against Hamas sites in the eastern part of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday night.
The military announcement came minutes after Israel’s War Cabinet decided unanimously to “continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to promote the release of our hostages and the other goals of the war,” per a Prime Minister’s Office statement.
IDF ground troops took full control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah Crossing on Tuesday morning as tanks from the 401st Armored Brigade of the 162nd Division were deployed there.
The operation started as Hamas claimed it had accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by mediators, in what senior officials in Jerusalem described as “an exercise by Hamas meant to present Israel as the refuser.”
The United States did not inform Jerusalem in advance of Hamas’s “acceptance” of the hostage deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing three Israeli officials.
Upon reading the Hamas statement, Israeli officials reportedly were surprised to see “many new elements” that were not contained in the previous proposal to which Israel had agreed and was presented to Hamas by the American, Egyptian and Qatari mediators 10 days earlier.
According to one source, CIA director William Burns and other Biden administration officials involved in the talks knew about the new proposal but didn’t inform the Israeli side. The new version was finalized at Doha on Monday morning with Washington’s knowledge.
President Joe Biden speaks at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Annual Days of Remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Washington. Statue of Freedom stands behind.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
(AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday decried a “ferocious surge” in antisemitism on college campuses and around the globe in the months since Hamas attacked Israel and triggered a war in Gaza, using a ceremony to remember victims of the Holocaust to also denounce new waves of violence and hateful rhetoric toward Jews.
Biden said that on Oct. 7, Hamas “brought to life” that hatred with the killing of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and warned that, already, people are beginning to forget who was responsible.
The president used his address to renew his declarations of unwavering support for Israel in its war against Hamas even as his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has grown increasingly strained over Israel’s push to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which would surely worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis for Palestinians.
The Democratic president has struggled to balance his support for Israel since the attack by Hamas — the deadliest day for Jews worldwide since the Holocaust — with his efforts to protect civilian life in Gaza.
While acknowledging the ceremony was taking place during “difficult times,” Biden made no explicit reference to the deaths of more than 34,700 Palestinians since the attack by Hamas led Israel to declare war in Gaza. The tally from the Hamas-run health ministry includes militants, but also many civilians caught up in the fighting.
“My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree,” Biden said.
“We’re at risk of people not knowing the truth,” Biden said of the horrors of the Holocaust, when 6 million Jews were systematically killed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. “This hatred continues to lie deep in the hearts of too many people in the world.”
Biden steered clear of the upcoming presidential election in his speech. But it played out in counterpoint to former President Donald Trump’s criticism of the incumbent for not doing more to combat antisemitism. Trump has a long personal history of rhetoric that invokes the language of Nazi Germany and plays on stereotypes of Jews in politics.
Biden’s remarks at the Capitol played out as pro-Palestinian protests — some of which have involved antisemitic chants and threats toward Jewish students and supporters of Israel — rock college campuses across the country.
“As Jews around the world still cope with the atrocity and trauma of that day and its aftermath, we’ve seen a ferocious surge of antisemitism in America and around the world,” Biden said.
“Not 75 years later, but just seven and a half months later, and people are already forgetting, they’re already forgetting, that Hamas unleashed this terror that it was Hamas that brutalized Israelis, that it was Hamas that took and continues to hold hostages,” Biden said. “I have not forgotten, nor have you. And we will not forget.”
The Capitol event, hosted by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, also featured remarks from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Holocaust survivors, local youth and elected officials took part in the remembrance ceremony, which included a recitation of the Jewish prayers for the dead.
The campus protests have posed a political challenge for Biden, whose coalition has historically relied on younger voters, many of whom are critical of his public support for Israel.
Biden said “There’s no place on any campus in America” or any place in America for antisemitism or threats of violence. He added, “We’re not a lawless country — we are a civil society”
In conjunction with Biden’s speech, his administration was announcing new steps to combat antisemitism on colleges campuses and beyond. The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights was sending every school district and college in the nation a letter outlining examples of antisemitism and other hate that could lead to federal civil rights investigations.
The Department of Homeland Security was moving to educate schools and community groups about resources and funding available to promote campus safety and address threats. And the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism was meeting with technology companies on how to combat the rise in hateful conflict online.
On Monday, Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris and the first Jewish spouse of a nationally elected American leader, met with Jewish college students at the White House about the administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism. He heard students describe their own experiences with hatred, including threats of violence and hate speech, his office said.
Trump’s campaign on Monday released a video on Yom Hashoah, Israel’s Holocaust remembrance day, that aimed to contrast the 2024 presidential candidates’ responses on antisemitism.
The video shows images of Trump visiting Israel and speeches he has given pledging to stand with Jewish people and confront antisemitism, while showing footage of the protests on campuses and clips of Biden responding to protesters upset with his administration’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas.
One of the clips shows Biden saying, “They have a point,” but it does not include the next sentence in which Biden said, “We need to get a lot more care into Gaza.”
Biden campaign spokesman James Singer said in response that “President Biden stands against antisemitism and is committed to the safety of the Jewish community, and security of Israel — Donald Trump does not.”
Pro-Hamas protesters demonstrate outside the main gate at Columbia University in New York City on Friday, April 26th. Credit: AP Photo/Aaron Morrison
(DCNF) The president of an international transit union intends to sue Columbia University after it allegedly failed to protect workers held “hostage” by Palestinian protesters who overtook one of the school’s buildings this month, according to Politico.
John Samuelsen of the Transport Workers Union, which oversees over 150,000 workers in a multitude of businesses, including the airline, transit, railroad and education fields, said that Columbia’s President Minouche Shafik waited too long to bring in police on April 30 after pro-Palestinian overtook Hamilton Hall, according to Politico. One worker had reportedly claimed to have been prevented from leaving the building by the protesters and Samuelsen said the union was looking into “legal action” to protect workers. (RELATED: Columbia Cancels Main Commencement Ceremony Amid Anti-Israel Protests)
“We’re exploiting every legal means at our disposal against Columbia, against the individual occupiers of the building … [who] thought that they could hold our custodians hostage to their ideology,” Samuelsen told Politico.
Protestors gather at the gates of Columbia University, in support of student protesters who barricaded themselves in Hamilton Hall, despite orders from university officials to disband or face suspension, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, U.S., April 30, 2024. (REUTERS/David Dee Delgado)
Protesters occupied the building after the university had implemented a mandatory suspension of anyone who had not cleared the encampment by 2 p.m. One maintenance worker claimed that they had been held “hostage” for a brief period as protesters shouted, “We will honor all the martyrs, all the parents, mothers, fathers.”
Mario Torres, one of the maintenance workers in the building at the time, said that he was swarmed by protesters who came in with zip ties, duct tape and masks, according to the Free Press. Torres fought with one of the protesters in an attempt to “protect the building” but worried about his family and how he was going to make it out.
“I was freaking out. At that point, I’m thinking about my family. How was I gonna get out? Through the window,” Torres told the Free Press.
The university eventually called in the New York Police Department the following evening, who showed up in riot gear and arrested dozens of protesters. Samuelsen, however, argued that was not enough and demanded in a letter sent to the university Monday it release the names of the protesters who occupied the building and footage of the incident, according to Politico.
Columbia announced Monday that it would no longer hold its main graduation ceremony due to the ongoing protests. The university said that they would opt for smaller “Class Days and school-level ceremonies” so students could celebrate “individually alongside their peers.” The University of Southern California also canceled its commencement ceremony due to safety concerns after protesters occupied the campus for weeks.
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