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Upper East Side Faces Growing Pains with Surge in Healthcare Developments

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Upper East Side Faces Growing Pains with Surge in Healthcare Developments

Edited by: Fern Sidman

The Upper East Side, historically known as the Silk Stocking District, is undergoing a significant transformation as it becomes a central hub for the Tristate region’s healthcare sector, according to a report on Thursday in the New York Post. This shift is driven by increasing demand for medical services, particularly for the aging population over 75. However, the rapid expansion of healthcare facilities in this affluent neighborhood has sparked controversy and discontent among local residents.

According to a recent report by CBRE, the Upper East Side is seeing a surge in healthcare-related developments. The report highlights that nearly 5.4 million square feet of new leases and expansions for health facilities have been established in Manhattan since 2018, with a substantial portion concentrated north of 59th Street on the East Side, according to the information provided in the Post report.  This area is becoming the “central node” in the region’s health sector, driven by the growing need for advanced medical services.

The neighborhood is witnessing the rise of five major new hospital and medical projects, with three more large-scale and contentious proposals currently under city review. Indicated in the Post report was that each institution involved has argued that expansion is crucial for delivering state-of-the-art care both now and in the future. However, these developments have not been universally welcomed.

Grassroots campaigns are actively opposing the three proposed projects, citing potential long-term damage to the neighborhood’s economic and social fabric. Residents are also voicing concerns about temporary nuisances caused by ongoing construction. The report in the Post said that complaints range from construction noise and dangerous conditions to disruptions in the relatively low-rise, residential character of the Upper East Side.

At the construction site of a new 16-story Weill Cornell graduate student residence hall at 1393 York Ave. at East 74th Street, residents are particularly frustrated, the Post reported. Bright, uncovered construction lights have been keeping nearby apartment dwellers awake for months. “It even comes through my shades,” complained a bleary-eyed neighbor of Realty Check, highlighting the immediate impact on the quality of life.

Residents fear that the influx of medical facilities could alter the neighborhood’s identity, which has long been characterized by its upscale homes and high-end shops. The economic and social fabric of the area is perceived to be at risk as these large-scale developments could attract a different demographic and change the local economy’s dynamics.

 

In recent years, institutions have either acquired or decided to develop parcels they owned along First, Second, and Third Avenues, much to the surprise of local residents. The Post first reported on three major projects:

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Tower: A 12-story tower spanning the FDR Drive at East 70th Street.

Extell-Developed Medical Building: A 30-story building at First Avenue and East 79th Street, leased to HSS for medical offices and treatments.

Iron Horse Labs: Located on East 94th Street, developed by Elevate Research Properties, a subsidiary of Taconic Partners.

Additionally, the Post report said that the 15-story Northwell Health Victoria and Lloyd Goldman Health Care Pavilion for outpatient care recently broke ground at the corner of Third Avenue and East 77th Street, and the Weill Cornell graduate student residence hall is nearing completion.

While the development of medical facilities is essential for advancing healthcare services, some proposed projects have drawn significant backlash, the Post report added. Notably, two projects have incited opposition beyond typical NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) complaints:

Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital Expansion: A $1.6 billion project involving a towering expansion on Lexington Avenue at East 76th Street. The proposal includes adding a 26-story tower on top of the existing building, which would be two and a half times larger than current zoning permits.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Pavilion: Proposed for York Avenue and East 66th Street.

New York Blood Center Tower: Proposed at 310 East 67th Street.

The Committee to Protect Our Lenox Hill Neighborhood, led by private equity investor Andrew Gaspar and supported by State Senator Liz Krueger, is a prominent group opposing the Lenox Hill project, as was explained in the Post report. They argue that the zoning variance sought by Northwell Health to construct the massive tower is excessive. “What kind of ‘variance’ is that?” the group has questioned on social media, expressing concerns that the development would result in a “monstrosity” far exceeding the neighborhood’s scale, the report in the Post added.

Gaspar’s group has submitted a petition with 6,000 signatures to the city, arguing that the project will “destroy” local businesses in a manner similar to the Second Avenue subway construction and endanger residents. “This project will disrupt our lives for over a decade,” Gaspar told the Post. The proposal is currently under review by the City Planning Department.

Residents are particularly concerned about the potential long-term impact on the Upper East Side’s economic and social fabric. The influx of large medical facilities could significantly alter the neighborhood’s character, traditionally known for its low-rise, residential charm and upscale amenities, the Post report observed. Construction-related disruptions, including noise, dangerous conditions, and quality-of-life nuisances, are immediate concerns for those living near the new developments.

Another contentious project is the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Pavilion expansion. MSK proposes to enlarge an existing 31-story cancer pavilion to the equivalent of 62 stories in height. This expansion would require the demolition of an existing MSK dormitory building. The Post report pointed out that the project has garnered opposition from at least three civic groups: Friends of the Upper East Side, CIVITAS, and Carnegie Hill Neighbors.

The Friends of the Upper East Side organization has termed the MSK plan “out of scale,” “super-sized,” and environmentally risky, according to the Post report. Despite these concerns, the proposal was conditionally approved by Community Board 8’s Land Use Committee and is set to go to the Manhattan Borough President’s office once finalized by CB8.

City Council member Julie Menin, representing Manhattan District 5, acknowledges the potential benefits of these projects, including major capital investment and job creation. However, she emphasizes the need for careful scrutiny to minimize community disruption. “Each project has the potential to bring significant investment, but we must ensure that the community’s quality of life is not compromised,” Menin explained to the Post.

Despite the controversies, there is considerable support for the Upper East Side’s transformation into a central medical district. Mary Ann Tighe, CEO of CBRE Tristate, champions the idea of clustering leading medical institutions in one area. “It’s impossible to overstate the importance of clustering great medical institutions in one district. The interplay between clinicians who are serving patients daily and investigators who are in the lab inventing new treatments is the magic combination that creates cures,” Tighe explained to the Post.

Tighe, who resides on the Upper East Side and is married to a surgeon, believes that proximity is crucial for fostering collaboration and innovation in healthcare. “Only proximity can make this dynamic possible,” she added when speaking with the Post.

 

Harvard U Criticized by House Committee for Inadequate Response to Anti-Semitism Concerns

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Harvard University finds itself embroiled in controversy as a congressional committee investigating campus anti-Semitism accused the prestigious institution of obstructing its inquiry. Credit: Hillel.org

Harvard U Criticized by House Committee for Inadequate Response to Anti-Semitism Concerns

Edited by: Fern Sidman

A recent report from the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce has criticized Harvard University for its slow response to rising anti-Semitism on campus last fall. According to a report that appeared on Thursday in the WSJ, the report alleges that the university’s leadership ignored key recommendations from an advisory group it created to address these issues and that its efforts were largely performative.

The committee’s investigation began in the wake of the October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in the brutal massacre of 1200 Israelis and others as well as the abduction of 250 hostages.  Following the attack, the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee issued a statement, co-signed by over 30 other Harvard student organizations, blaming the Israeli government for the ensuing violence, as was reported by the WSJ. This statement, coupled with a delayed condemnation of Hamas by then-President Claudine Gay, sparked significant backlash from the Jewish community both within and outside Harvard.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R., N.C.), released its findings on Thursday. The WSJ noted that the report accuses Harvard’s former President Gay and other university leaders of failing to take meaningful action against anti-Semitism, despite having established an Anti-Semitism Advisory Group.

“Former President Gay and Harvard’s leadership propped up the university’s Anti-Semitism Advisory Group all for show,” said Rep. Foxx in a statement, according to the report in the WSJ. The report claims that the advisory group’s recommendations were largely ignored and that Harvard’s response to anti-Semitic incidents was inadequate and delayed.

Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton expressed disappointment with the committee’s report, arguing that it presented a selective and incomplete view of the university’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism. “Across 17 submissions, including more than 30,000 pages of information, Harvard has continued to cooperate with the Committee’s inquiry and address their ongoing questions,” Newton stated in an email to the WSJ. “It is disappointing to see selective excerpts from internal documents, shared in good faith, released in this manner, offering an incomplete and inaccurate view of Harvard’s overall efforts to combat anti-Semitism last fall and in the months since.”

The committee’s report is based largely on interviews and subpoenaed internal university communications, according to the WSJ. Here are the main takeaways:

Delayed Response: The report criticizes Harvard’s leadership for a delayed response to anti-Semitic incidents following the Hamas attack. The university’s condemnation of Hamas came after significant criticism from the Jewish community, suggesting a lack of urgency in addressing anti-Semitism.

Ignored Recommendations: The Anti-Semitism Advisory Group, created by Harvard to address rising antisemitism, provided several recommendations that were reportedly ignored by the university’s leadership. The committee’s report suggests that the advisory group was used more for public relations than for implementing real change.

Performative Actions: The report implies that Harvard’s actions against anti-Semitism were largely performative, lacking substantive measures to protect Jewish students and address the hostility they faced on campus.

Community Backlash: The report highlights the significant backlash from the Jewish community and prominent alumni, who felt that Harvard’s response to anti-Semitism was insufficient and delayed.

Indicated in the WSJ report was that the House Committee report also highlights several specific incidents that occurred on campus following the Hamas attack:

Spitting Incident: An undergraduate student wearing a yarmulke was spat on, a clear act of antisemitic harassment.

Verbal Assault: Another Jewish student was followed back to her dormitory while a tutor screamed at her, adding to the hostile environment.

Social Media Threats: On the social media platform Sidechat, which is accessible only to those with Harvard email addresses, users posted threats such as “gas all the Jews” and “let em cook.” These comments received 25 net upvotes, indicating a troubling level of support.

The report points out that the university’s rules against such behavior fall under antibullying and harassment policies managed by the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, as was detailed in the WSJ report. However, the office reportedly did not respond to complaints of anti-Semitic harassment, leaving affected students without adequate support or recourse.

In late October, then-President Claudine Gay announced the creation of an eight-member anti-Semitism advisory group. This group, composed of Harvard faculty, alumni, and a student representative, was tasked with developing a robust strategy to combat anti-Semitism on campus, the WSJ reported. Despite this initiative, many Jewish students felt their concerns were still being ignored.

Feeling neglected by the university administration, some Jewish students directly approached members of the advisory group, including Dara Horn, an alumna, novelist, and former visiting lecturer of Jewish Studies at Harvard. The WSJ reported that according to the report, Horn acknowledged the students’ frustrations, stating, “Jewish students don’t feel like we’re taking this seriously.”

 

In response to the criticism, Harvard University stated that its police department has increased presence and patrols in areas where Jewish community members gather. Additionally, the university has coordinated with Sidechat to ensure the platform’s content moderation guidelines are strictly enforced.

Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton expressed disappointment with the committee’s report, arguing that it presented a selective and incomplete view of the university’s efforts. “Across 17 submissions, including more than 30,000 pages of information, Harvard has continued to cooperate with the Committee’s inquiry and address their ongoing questions,” Newton told the WSJ. “It is disappointing to see selective excerpts from internal documents, shared in good faith, released in this manner, offering an incomplete and inaccurate view of Harvard’s overall efforts to combat anti-Semitism last fall and in the months since.”

The report also criticizes Harvard for failing to adequately enforce its rules against protesters who engaged in anti-Semitic behavior, as was explained in the WSJ report. Specifically, the administration was slow to address chants such as “from the river to the sea” and “intifada,” which the advisory group identified as anti-Semitic calls for Israel’s elimination through violence.

Members of the Anti-Semitism Advisory Group demanded several actions from the university, including:

Official acknowledgment that the chants “from the river to the sea” and “intifada” are anti-Semitic.

An immediate ban on masked protests.

Prohibition of teaching staff from pressuring students to engage in political activism.

Frustrated by what they perceived as inaction, five members of the advisory group threatened to resign. In response, then-President Claudine Gay warned that a mass resignation would be “explosive, and would make things even more volatile and unsafe,” according to the WSJ report. On November 9, Gay issued a statement condemning the protesters’ chants and pledged to address some concerns, but the advisory group members remained dissatisfied with the administration’s response.

Harvard’s administration stated that any violations of policies concerning protest and dissent would be subject to disciplinary action, regardless of the protest content. However, the advisory group was particularly upset that Gay did not consult with them before her testimony to a congressional committee on anti-Semitism, as per the information in the WSJ report.  The group felt that Gay’s testimony failed to convey the pervasiveness and systemic nature of anti-Semitism on campus, instead focusing primarily on public protests.

Dara Horn expressed disappointment in Gay’s testimony. “That did not capture the extent to which this was a pervasive, I would say, systemic problem on campus,” Horn said in an interview with the committee, as was reported by the WSJ.  “I felt that her testimony did not acknowledge that, and that was disappointing to me and to others on the committee.”

The report also highlights several disturbing incidents of anti-Semitic harassment at Harvard:

An undergraduate student wearing a yarmulke was spat on.

Another Jewish student was followed to her dormitory while being screamed at by a tutor.

Threatening messages on the social media platform Sidechat, exclusive to those with Harvard email addresses, included calls to “gas all the Jews” and “let em cook,” which received 25 net upvotes.

In response to these incidents, Harvard University has taken steps to increase security and enforce content moderation on social media platforms. The WSJ report said that the university’s police department has enhanced its presence and patrols in areas frequented by the Jewish community. Additionally, Harvard has coordinated with Sidechat to ensure the enforcement of content-moderation guidelines.

Two days after testifying before Congress, Rabbi David Wolpe, a member of Harvard’s Anti-Semitism Advisory Group, resigned in protest. In his resignation letter, Rabbi Wolpe wrote: “Both events on campus and the painfully inadequate testimony reinforced the idea that I cannot make the sort of difference I had hoped,” according to the WSJ report.

In April, Harvard announced the formation of two working groups tasked with recommending ways to nurture a culture of open inquiry, constructive dialogue, and academic freedom. Noted in the WSJ report was that despite these efforts, the advisory group felt that the university was not acknowledging the widespread problem of anti-Semitic harassment on campus.

The advisory group urged the university to disclose the number of anti-Semitism-related reports it had received, as well as any disciplinary actions taken. The report indicates that Harvard paid lip service to this request but failed to publicize the harassment reports or any subsequent disciplinary measures.

Also mentioned in the WSJ report was that the advisory group made several additional recommendations, which the report claims Harvard has yet to implement:

Zero-Tolerance Policy: Establishing a zero-tolerance policy for classroom disruptions.

Review of Academic Rigor: Assessing the academic rigor of classes perceived as containing antisemitic content.

Intellectual Diversity: Increasing intellectual diversity on campus.

Investigation of “Dark Money”: Investigating potential influences from foreign sources such as Iran, Qatar, and associates of terrorist groups.

The advisory group also called for a review of the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging to understand why it was ill-equipped to address issues of exclusion and harassment of Jewish and Israeli students, as was revealed in the WSJ report. They recommended an overhaul of approaches to inclusion and diversity that may have inadvertently encouraged anti-Semitism.

In response to the ongoing criticism, Harvard announced the creation of a task force designed to combat anti-Semitism. The report in the WSJ also said that this task force is currently reviewing the treatment of Jewish and Israeli students at the university since the 1960s to identify causes, characteristics, and contributing factors of anti-Semitic behaviors on campus and to recommend strategies to address them.

Reports: Trump’s Defense Lawyer Accuses Cohen of Lying About ‘Hush Money’ Phone Call

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Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer and fixer for President Trump was denied a promised early release from prison Friday, a day after an attorney from the Trump Organization sent him a threatening letter warning against him publishing a reported “tell-all” book before the 2020 election. Photo Credit: AP

Nick Gilbertson- Breitbart
Former President Donald Trump’s defense on Thursday accused disgraced former attorney Michael Cohen of lying about an October 2016 phone call he claimed was about a payment to Stormy Daniels, per reports.

During cross-examination of Cohen in Trump’s business records trial, one of Trump’s defense attorneys, Todd Blanche, pressed Cohen about the call, which occurred just after 8:00 p.m. that autumn evening and was to Trump’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller, reports say. The Hill notes Cohen claimed he spoke to Trump on the call about a payment to Daniels. Blanche was apparently suggesting he contacted Schiller about harassing calls from a teenage prankster.

The New York Times reported that Blanche was implying that “it is ridiculous that Michael Cohen might have simultaneously reported a prankster to Keith Schiller and talked to Trump about the hush-money payment.”

The Inner City Press’s Matthew Russell Lee reports the call lasted less than two minutes, with more specifics of the exchange:

Blanche turned the clock back a quarter of an hour. He got Cohen to acknowledge or remember – depending on one’s perspective; maybe just, he got Cohen to say – that Cohen had been receiving harassing calls for three days and finally the harasser forgot to block their number.
 Cohen texted the number, that he would be turning it over to the Secret Service. He said he learned, or was told, that it was a 14 year-old. And then he texted Keith Schiller, asking him to act on it.

Per Lee’s tweets, the call came in between texts to Schiller from Cohen regarding the harassing calls. The first text was at 7:48 p.m., and the second was at 8:14 p.m. The Daily Caller’s Katelynn Richardson reported from the courtroom that Schiller “left a voicemail at 8:01” and followed up “text me” at 8:02 p.m. The disgraced former attorney then called him at 8:02.

“You lied about this. You said you didn’t remember the harassing phone calls – now you claim that in the one minute and 36 seconds call you spoke about the harasser and Stormy Daniels,” Blanche said, per Lee.

Cohen, whose TikTok streams regarding the trial and Trump were at the center of cross-examination on Tuesday, claimed that the call could have been about both Daniels and the 14-year-old harasser.

Billionaire Frank McCourt Eyes U.S. TikTok Acquisition Amid Regulatory Pressure

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The United States recently banned TikTok from all federal government devices over growing security concerns. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

Billionaire Frank McCourt Eyes U.S. TikTok Acquisition Amid Regulatory Pressure

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Billionaire Frank McCourt has announced plans to organize a bid to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations, following recent legislation that could force the social media platform’s Chinese owner into a sale. According to a report on Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal, the real estate magnate and former Los Angeles Dodgers owner revealed that his Project Liberty initiative is collaborating with investment bank Guggenheim Securities to build a consortium for this acquisition.

McCourt’s bid for TikTok is not just a business venture but also part of his broader vision to transform the digital landscape. Launched in 2021, Project Liberty advocates for giving individuals greater control over their digital identities and data. As was reported in the WSJ, McCourt intends to retool TikTok to align with these principles, aiming to empower users with enhanced privacy and autonomy over their online presence.

In a statement, McCourt emphasized the potential benefits of this acquisition: “The bid provides an opportunity to return control and value back into the hands of individuals and provide Americans with a meaningful voice, choice, and stake in the future of the web,” he said, as was noted in the WSJ report.

McCourt’s move comes in the wake of President Biden signing legislation last month that mandates the sale or ban of TikTok in the U.S. by mid-January. This law stems from national security and data privacy concerns related to TikTok’s ownership by Beijing-based ByteDance, the report in the WSJ added. The U.S. government fears that American users’ data could be accessed by the Chinese government, posing significant security risks.

In response to the legislation, TikTok has filed a federal lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. The information provided in the WSJ report indicated that ByteDance has also stated that it cannot and will not sell its U.S. operations by the imposed deadline, setting the stage for a contentious legal and political battle.

The WSJ also reported that the Chinese government has indicated it will not permit ByteDance to sell TikTok under duress. This stance severely limits ByteDance’s options, creating a complex situation where buyers are eager, but the seller may be constrained by geopolitical considerations.

If McCourt’s bid is successful, it could mark a significant shift in how social media platforms operate, particularly regarding user data and digital rights. The WSJ report said that McCourt envisions a version of TikTok where users have greater transparency and control over their personal information. This aligns with the goals of Project Liberty, which seeks to decentralize control of the internet and promote a more equitable digital environment.

The potential acquisition by McCourt could also address some of the national security concerns that have plagued TikTok. By transferring ownership to a U.S.-based consortium, the platform might mitigate fears about data privacy and reduce regulatory scrutiny.

The prospect of a U.S. acquisition of TikTok is significant for the social media industry. TikTok has become immensely popular, particularly among younger audiences, and its user base in the U.S. is substantial. A change in ownership could influence the platform’s business model, content policies, and competitive dynamics within the social media landscape.

As the U.S. government pressures ByteDance to sell TikTok’s American operations, several high-profile figures have also expressed interest in acquiring the video-sharing app. Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Kevin O’Leary, chairman of O’Shares ETFs and a star of “Shark Tank,” are among the potential buyers eyeing TikTok’s U.S. arm, as was explained in the WSJ report. However, significant challenges and uncertainties complicate the prospect of a sale.

The interest from Mnuchin and O’Leary highlights the competitive landscape for acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations. Their involvement signals the strategic importance and lucrative potential of the platform, which boasts approximately 170 million users in the United States, the report added.

Determining TikTok’s value presents another significant challenge for prospective buyers. Estimates of the app’s worth vary widely, ranging from $20 billion to over $100 billion, according to the WSJ report. This broad range reflects the complexity of valuing a rapidly growing social media platform with substantial user engagement but also significant regulatory and operational risks.

TikTok’s algorithm, which selects content for users, has been under intense scrutiny. Concerns have been raised about the platform’s handling of sensitive issues, such as teen depression, and its role in global debates, including the Israel-Hamas conflict, as per the information contained in the WSJ report. The way TikTok’s algorithm influences user content has drawn criticism and regulatory attention, adding another layer of complexity to any potential acquisition.

For any acquisition to proceed, potential buyers must navigate these challenges while offering a compelling value proposition. They will need to address regulatory concerns, secure necessary approvals, and propose a purchase price that reflects the app’s potential while accounting for its risks.

Additionally, any buyer must consider how to manage TikTok’s algorithm and content moderation policies to mitigate scrutiny and maintain user trust. This may involve significant changes to the platform’s operational model, requiring both technical and strategic adjustments.

Columbia U Faculty Passes No-Confidence Resolution Against President Minouche Shafik

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Columbia’s President Minouche Shafik testified before a congressional House committee over the failed university’s response to a burgeoning Jew hatred. Credit: AP Photo/Miriam Zuhaib

 

Edited by:  TJVNews.com

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University has passed a resolution of no confidence in the institution’s president, Minouche Shafik.  According to a report in the New York Times, the resolution, adopted on Thursday, accuses Dr. Shafik of violating the fundamental principles of academic freedom and shared governance, and engaging in actions described as an “unprecedented assault on students’ rights.”

The resolution was introduced by the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a professional organization representing faculty interests. Of the 709 professors who voted, 65 percent supported the resolution, 29 percent opposed it, and 6 percent abstained, as was reported in the NYT. While largely symbolic, the vote calls attention to the significant discontent among faculty regarding Dr. Shafik’s leadership and decision-making.

Prior to the no-confidence vote, the University Senate, comprising 111 delegates from across Columbia, passed a resolution on April 26 calling for an investigation into Dr. Shafik’s actions. The NYT reported that this resolution, although critical, stopped short of a censure and focused on alleged violations of established protocols, undermining academic freedom, jeopardizing free inquiry, and breaching due process rights of students and professors.

Dr. Robert Newton, an oceanographer and member of the AAUP executive committee, emphasized that the resolution is not a personal attack on Dr. Shafik but a necessary step to address the broader issues facing the university, as was detailed in the NYT report. He noted that many of the disciplined and arrested student protesters study with arts and science faculty members, which likely contributed to the faculty’s strong stance on this issue.

The no-confidence vote reflects deep dissatisfaction with Dr. Shafik’s handling of pro-Hamas  demonstrations and her response to faculty members who expressed views critical of Israel. The information provided in the NYT report indicated that several key issues have contributed to the current crisis:

Handling of Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations: On April 18, Dr. Shafik called the police to clear a pro-Hamas student encampment on campus. This action was taken despite the unanimous opposition of the University Senate’s executive committee, which advised against involving the police. The resolution condemns Dr. Shafik for falsely claiming that the students posed a “clear and present danger to the substantial functioning of the university,” arguing that the protesters were peaceful.

Commitment to Disciplinary Actions Against Faculty: In testimony before a congressional committee on anti-Semitism on April 17, Dr. Shafik pledged to discipline faculty members who had expressed views against Israel. This promise has been interpreted by many as a direct violation of academic freedom, one of the core principles that underpin the university’s mission.

Police Presence and Campus Lockdown: The resolution criticizes Dr. Shafik for imposing a lockdown on the campus and maintaining a continuing police presence, actions which have been seen as excessive and detrimental to the university’s academic environment.

The resolution clearly articulates the faculty’s grievances: “The president’s choices to ignore our statutes and our norms of academic freedom and shared governance, to have our students arrested, and to impose a lockdown of our campus with continuing police presence, have gravely undermined our confidence in her,” as was reported by the NYT. This statement highlights the perceived overreach and disregard for institutional norms that have characterized Dr. Shafik’s actions.

The no-confidence vote, while not legally binding, sends a strong message about the faculty’s dissatisfaction and their desire for a change in leadership. It also raises questions about the future direction of Columbia University under Dr. Shafik’s presidency.

Since the controversial police intervention, Dr. Shafik has largely refrained from making public appearances before the student body. Her primary communication has been through a video posted online earlier this month, addressing the broader university community, as was pointed out in the NYT report. Citing security concerns, she has maintained a partial lockdown on the main campus and canceled the main graduation ceremony, a significant event she traditionally would have presided over.

In a statement, Columbia spokesman Ben Chang emphasized Dr. Shafik’s ongoing consultations with various community stakeholders. “President Shafik continues to consult regularly with members of the community, including faculty, administration and trustees, as well as with state, city and community leaders,” Chang said, according to the NYT report. “She appreciates the efforts of those working alongside her on the long road ahead to heal our community.”

Despite the partial lockdown, the smaller graduation ceremonies for Columbia’s 19 colleges have proceeded relatively smoothly, albeit with visible signs of protest, the NYT report noted. Some students donned black-and-white kaffiyehs, a symbol of solidarity with Hamas terrorists, while others displayed small Palestinian flags. During the Columbia College graduation, the valedictorian held up a sign that read “Divest” as she walked across the stage, underscoring the ongoing discontent.

Outside the ceremonies, a few individuals handed out fliers listing the protesters’ demands, including calls for the university to divest from companies that do business with Israel. Additionally, the NYT reported that a billboard truck intermittently circled the campus, displaying a photo of Dr. Shafik with the text “TIME TO RESIGN!” against a bright red background.

Saham David Ahmed Ali, the student speaker at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, used her platform during the graduation ceremony to call for a cease-fire in Gaza and articulate the demands of pro-Hamas demonstrators. The NYT reported that her speech, which garnered broad cheers, was briefly interrupted when her microphone cut out, an incident the university spokesperson attributed to an unintentional technical glitch.

Ali’s speech and the reactions it elicited highlight the contrasting nature of protests at Columbia compared to other institutions in New York City. While the demonstrations at Columbia have been relatively modest, larger and more disruptive protests have occurred at the New School and parts of the City University of New York (CUNY) system. According to the NYT report, students at CUNY and New York University (NYU) briefly occupied buildings but stood down without police intervention, indicating a different approach to handling student activism.

The Columbia community remains deeply divided over the handling of the protests and the broader issue of campus security. A group of students and faculty members circulated an open letter supporting President Shafik’s efforts to enforce security and crack down on protesters. By Thursday, the letter had garnered hundreds of signatures, including those of alumni, parents, and others not directly affiliated with the university. The NYT report noted that the letter cited multiple incidents deemed anti-Semitic and asserted that the group pushing for the no-confidence vote did not represent the majority of Columbia’s faculty and students.

In response to the vote, Dr. Shafik has sought to reassure the university community of her intentions and commitment to their well-being. The NYT reported that in a note published in the school newspaper in lieu of a graduation speech, she wrote, “You may not agree with every decision taken by university leadership, but please know that it came from a place of care and concern for the common good at Columbia.” She added that she would “look back on the class of 2024 with admiration and special fondness.”

Dr. Shafik has been holding private meetings with faculty and other members of the Columbia community to repair ties and find a way forward, the NYT report indicated. Despite these efforts, the partial lockdown of the main campus and the cancellation of the main graduation ceremony have fueled ongoing tensions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

UC Santa Barbara Hit with Federal Complaint for Permitting Relentless Harassment of Jewish Student President

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UC Santa Barbara Hit with Federal Complaint for Permitting Relentless Harassment of Jewish Student President

Edited by: TJVNews.com

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law today filed a federal civil rights complaint against the University of Santa Barbara (UCSB) for leaving its own student government president, Tessa Veksler, utterly vulnerable to severe and persistent anti-Semitic bullying, harassment, intimidation, and threats. The harassment escalated to such a degree it forced Veksler to stay off campus during the end of the fall semester and take her exams online.  The Brandeis Center is representing Veksler.

Veksler was elected president of the UCSB Associated Students (AS) in April 2023, making history by becoming the school’s first Sabbath observant student body president.  She is the daughter of Soviet refugees who fled Jewish persecution, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine compelled her to run. According to Veksler, her parents came to the U.S. in search of a society where they could live freely from anti-Semitism. Yet, a generation later, she is facing anti-Semitic hate for serving her university.

According to the complaint, Veksler has been targeted relentlessly on social media and at her student government office by her peers on the basis of an integral component of her Jewish identity, namely, her “Zionism,” which recognizes that Jews are part of a people with an ancestral connection to Israel. Threats such as, “you can run but you can’t hide, Tessa Veksler;” attacks calling her a Zionist dog, racist, and fascist; and repeated accusations that she is unfit to serve in her elected position due to her Jewish identity, have plagued her since October 7. Just last month, in a poster featuring Veksler and other students, a photo of Veksler’s face was violently slashed. The constant harassment has left Veksler fearful for her physical safety on campus, negatively impacted her mental health, adversely affected her academic performance, and undermined her ability to lead student government.

The situation began online where Veksler was repeatedly cyberbullied and doxed. And after it was left unchecked by the university for numerous months, the harassment migrated to the campus.  In February, students plastered signs throughout the Multicultural Center, where Veksler’s student government office is located, threatening her and making it clear Veksler is unwelcome on campus and should be excluded. The messages on posters stated: “Zionists are not welcome,” “Zionists not welcome,” “Ziofascists GTFO [get the f**k out],” “Zionists not allowed,” “AS president is racist Zionist,” and “Get these Zionists out of office.”  Some of the posters contained ominous warnings directed at Veksler.

The harassment was further publicized to the entire student body community when photographs were posted on UCSB Multicultural Center’s official Instagram account.  The harassment continued online with demeaning messages and veiled threats that included, “You are disgusting. Zionists are NOT welcome in the MCC [Multicultural Center]. We will not back down and we WILL take action.” One post stated, “Zionist dog is sad she can’t harass the non-white students she presides over :(,” and another remarked, “Everyone, take a moment of your time to feel bad for this genocide-supporting racist piece of shit,” and “f**k your white comfort in stealing a multicultural center.”  Other posts invoked age-old anti-Semitic tropes including the greedy Jew and claims Jews cannot be trusted to hold elected office.

Some of the harassing messages suggested Jews are not a minority group and do not belong at the Multicultural Center at all.

According to the complaint, the university has largely ignored the harassment, threats, and attacks, failing to stop the harassment or adequately address the hostile environment, and the few steps it has taken have been severely insufficient. It has failed to even put out a statement specifically condemning anti-Semitic efforts to bully and intimidate its own Jewish student president.

The Brandeis Center demands UCSB conduct an immediate and full investigation of the discriminatory and harassing behavior against Veksler and take appropriate disciplinary action against perpetrators.  To prevent future incidents like this, they also urge the university to issue a statement clearly and specifically condemning anti-Semitic harassment and efforts to shun and marginalize Jewish students based on the Zionist component of their Jewish identity, and commit to conducting anti-Semitism education and training of faculty, students and staff.

“What has been allowed to happen to Tessa over many months – shaming, harassing, and shunning a student until they disavow a part of their Judaism – is shameful and illegal,” stated Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights.  “Sadly, this is not the first time we are seeing this mob behavior against a Jewish student elected by their student body to serve.  It is incumbent upon UC Santa Barbara and all universities to say enough is enough.”

Brandeis Center attorneys also represented Rose Ritch when anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination led to her resignation as University of Southern California’s (USC) student government vice president and Max Price, a Tufts student government official similarly threatened with impeachment and disciplinary hearings.  Ritch and Price were both attacked for the Zionist component of their Jewish identity. After the Brandeis Center intervened, Students for Justice in Palestine withdrew their call to impeach Price. The Department of Education is currently investigating USC.

“No individual should ever have to experience what I went through as a Jewish student at UCSB – harassment, intimidation, threats, and character assassination all in the form of pure anti-Semitic hatred,” stated Veksler. “Despite the challenges I have faced, I knew that nothing would stop me from standing up for the Jewish community, maintaining my democratically-elected position, and pursuing justice for myself after being relentlessly targeted on the basis of my Jewish identity.”

Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin, including discrimination against Jews on the basis of their actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, in educational institutions that receive federal funding.  Under the law, harassing, marginalizing, demonizing, and excluding Jewish students based on the Zionist component of their Jewish identity is unlawful.  UNESCO has cautioned that “Jew” and “Zionist” are often used interchangeably today in an attempt by anti-Semites to cloak their hate.  According to President Biden’s U.S. National Strategy to Counter Anti-Semitism, released in May 2023, “Jewish students and educators are targeted for derision and exclusion on college campuses, often because of their real or perceived views about the State of Israel.  When Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or their identity, when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is anti-Semitism. And that is unacceptable.”

Last week the Brandeis Center and ADL filed civil rights complaints against Pomona and Occidental Colleges for severe anti-Semitic bullying, intimidation and physical threats. And the Department of Education opened an investigation into a complaint filed by the Brandeis Center and ADL about “severe and pervasive” anti-Semitism in Berkeley K-12 public schools.

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law is an independent, unaffiliated, nonprofit corporation established to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. LDB engages in research, education, and legal advocacy to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism on college and university campuses, in the workplace, and elsewhere. It empowers students by training them to understand their legal rights and educates administrators and employers on best practices to combat racism and anti-Semitism. More at www.brandeiscenter.com

Jewish Children Violently Beaten in Williamsburg; Highlights Rising Anti-Semitic Incidents

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Jewish Children Violently Beaten in Williamsburg; Highlights Rising Anti-Semitic Incidents

Edited by: Fern Sidman

On Sunday night, a group of orthodox Jewish children were violently attacked by an unidentified man in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This alarming incident, which has garnered significant media attention, underscores the troubling rise in anti-Semitic acts in New York City following the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Footage posted by Williamsburg 365 News on Wednesday shows a man dismounting from his bicycle and approaching the children, who were playing on the sidewalk. The assailant struck one child across the face, causing him to fall. He then threw another child to the ground and repeatedly kicked him before the children managed to flee. After the attack, the man returned to his bicycle and left the scene.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) reported an additional victim not captured in the video. According to the police, the same bicyclist approached a man and his son who were also playing on the sidewalk in the same area. The suspect pushed the man to the ground, resulting in a minor laceration to his head. The assailant then fled southbound on Franklin Avenue.

The NYPD has received a criminal complaint regarding the incidents and is currently investigating. No arrests have been made as of yet, and the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward to assist in identifying and apprehending the suspect.

This assault is part of a disturbing trend of increased anti-Semitic incidents in New York City. According to local media and law enforcement agencies, there has been a noticeable spike in such incidents since the October 7 Hamas attacks. This rise in anti-Semitic acts has heightened concerns within the Jewish community and prompted calls for stronger measures to protect vulnerable populations.

Community leaders and advocacy groups have condemned the attack and are calling for swift justice. They emphasize the need for increased security measures and greater community awareness to prevent further incidents. The rise in anti-Semitic attacks has led to heightened anxiety and fear among Jewish residents, particularly in neighborhoods with significant Jewish populations such as Williamsburg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WATCH: Police arrest dozens of rioters at violent anti-Israel encampment at University of California, Irvine

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Hundreds of protesters set up an encampment on school grounds, and it took riot police four hours to clear the area of rioters.

Illegal Immigrant Allegedly Attacked Victims In ‘Rape Dungeon On Wheels’: REPORT

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Dana Abizaid (Daily Caller)

California police said they arrested a man accused of being a serial rapist, and the incidents allegedly took place in a “rape dungeon on wheels,” FOX 11 reported Wednesday.

Police said they caught Eduardo Sarabia, a Mexican transient and illegal immigrant, allegedly committing sexual assaults inside a white van in the Angeles National Forest, according to FOX 11. Prosecutors charged Sarabia with two counts of forcible rape linked to two incidents that allegedly occurred May 12 and 13 in a 2015 Ford Transit van with no windows in the back.

 

Sarabia used that van, which sources said was a “rape dungeon on wheels” and “disgustingly outfitted for rape,” to allegedly commit the crimes, FOX 11 reported.

Citizens who live near where the alleged crimes occurred told FOX 11 they’d like to see the suspect never return to the streets.

“I think it’s terrible that we can’t even be safe on the streets. It’s hard to believe the way things are today and the way they used to be. You can’t even be on public transportation with two people being stabbed. It’s scary,” Rita Miller, a local resident, said.

“It’s scary. It’s not safe, you know I have kids and it worries me. It’s really scary, and I’m glad he’s been caught. I’m glad that it’s over with him,” Anna Dueñas, another resident, said.

Sarabia, who faces another court date in June, is being held without bail, FOX 11 reported.

Egypt rejects Israeli proposal to reopen Rafah Crossing

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JNS) Egypt has rejected an Israeli proposal to work together with Israel to reopen the Rafah Crossing into the Gaza Strip and manage its operation jointly, two security sources in Cairo told Reuters on Thursday. The Egyptian government demands the crossing be managed only by Palestinians, the sources said, adding that Jerusalem had offered a mechanism for how to manage the crossing after its forces withdraw. Officials from the Israel Security Agency presented the plan during a visit to Cairo on Wednesday, amid rising tension between the two countries following Israel’s military advance last week into Rafah, believed to be the final Hamas terrorist stronghold in the enclave. The Israel Defense Forces took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah Crossing with Egypt on the morning of May 7. A day earlier, 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.” Jerusalem wants to allow humanitarian aid through Rafah but is unable to do so without Egyptian cooperation. Cairo’s refusal to coordinate with Israel is preventing aid trucks from passing through the border, even as Egyptian President Abdel al-Fatah al-Sisi blames the Jewish state. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority has reportedly also rebuffed an Israeli offer to help manage the border crossing, local media reported earlier this week, citing U.S. government officials. On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz placed the onus for averting a humanitarian crisis squarely on Egypt’s shoulders. Katz said he had spoken with his British and German counterparts “about the need to persuade Egypt to reopen the Rafah Crossing to allow the continued delivery of international humanitarian aid to Gaza.” While the world places the responsibility for Gaza’s humanitarian situation on Israel, the top diplomat added, “the key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now in the hands of our Egyptian friends.” Katz emphasized that Hamas cannot be allowed to control the crossing. “This is a security necessity on which we will not compromise,” he said. The Rafah operation, which Israel estimates will last around two months, is being carried out in phases as opposed to a full-scale invasion. The phased nature of the operation allows for it to be paused should a hostage release deal be reached between Israel and Hamas. Egypt has reportedly threatened to suspend its 45-year-old peace treaty with Israel if the IDF further expands its offensive against Hamas, and has lodged formal protests with the U.S. and European governments.

(JNS) Egypt has rejected an Israeli proposal to work together with Israel to reopen the Rafah Crossing into the Gaza Strip and manage its operation jointly, two security sources in Cairo told Reuters on Thursday.

The Egyptian government demands the crossing be managed only by Palestinians, the sources said, adding that Jerusalem had offered a mechanism for how to manage the crossing after its forces withdraw.

Officials from the Israel Security Agency presented the plan during a visit to Cairo on Wednesday, amid rising tension between the two countries following Israel’s military advance last week into Rafah, believed to be the final Hamas terrorist stronghold in the enclave.

The Israel Defense Forces took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah Crossing with Egypt on the morning of May 7.

A day earlier, 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.”

Jerusalem wants to allow humanitarian aid through Rafah but is unable to do so without Egyptian cooperation. Cairo’s refusal to coordinate with Israel is preventing aid trucks from passing through the border, even as Egyptian President Abdel al-Fatah al-Sisi blames the Jewish state.

The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority has reportedly also rebuffed an Israeli offer to help manage the border crossing, local media reported earlier this week, citing U.S. government officials.

On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz placed the onus for averting a humanitarian crisis squarely on Egypt’s shoulders.

Katz said he had spoken with his British and German counterparts “about the need to persuade Egypt to reopen the Rafah Crossing to allow the continued delivery of international humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

While the world places the responsibility for Gaza’s humanitarian situation on Israel, the top diplomat added, “the key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now in the hands of our Egyptian friends.”

Katz emphasized that Hamas cannot be allowed to control the crossing. “This is a security necessity on which we will not compromise,” he said.

The Rafah operation, which Israel estimates will last around two months, is being carried out in phases as opposed to a full-scale invasion. The phased nature of the operation allows for it to be paused should a hostage release deal be reached between Israel and Hamas.

Egypt has reportedly threatened to suspend its 45-year-old peace treaty with Israel if the IDF further expands its offensive against Hamas, and has lodged formal protests with the U.S. and European governments.

Five IDF soldiers mistakenly killed by tank fire in Jabalia

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An Israeli military tank on the border with Gaza, April 7, 2024. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.
(JNS)

Five Israeli soldiers were killed by friendly fire in Jabalia in northern Gaza on Wednesday.

A platoon commander and four soldiers from Battalion 202 of the Paratroopers Brigade died and eight additional soldiers were wounded by IDF tank fire, three seriously. The rest of the wounded soldiers were evacuated to hospital in moderate and light condition.

The casualties were identified by the IDF on Thursday morning as Capt. Roy Beit Ya’akov, 22, from Eli; Staff Sgt. Gilad Arye Boim, 22, from Karnei Shomron in Samaria; Sgt. Daniel Chemu, 20, from Tiberias; Sgt. Ilan Cohen, 20, from Carmiel; and Staff Sgt. Betzalel David Shashuah, 21, from Tel Aviv.

The incident brings the Gaza death toll since the start of the ground invasion on Oct. 27 to 273 and to 621 on all fronts since the start of the war on Oct. 7.

Beit Ya’akov is the son of Hadas and Avidan, the chairman of Eli.

“The family, the town of Eli—whose residents and alumni are on the front lines of the war—and the entire Binyamin Region, are in great pain,” said Binyamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council chairman Israel Ganz.

“How great is the pain involved in the nation of Israel’s renewal in its Land. How many heroes do we have, who sacrifice their lives so that we will win and live here, in the Land of Israel, with peace and security. In their merit, we will win,” he added.

Israeli forces are currently conducting a major operation in Jabalia to quell a Hamas insurgency there. The friendly-fire incident occurred at an axis captured on Wednesday morning in a raid that included two tanks.

At around noon, soldiers entered a three-story building some 10 meters from the tanks. According to a preliminary investigation, the tank crews were unaware that the deputy commander of the 202nd Battalion had set up field headquarters in the building, and fired on what they thought were enemy fighters.

“The army still does not know the reason for the shooting and the apparent deviation from the boundaries of the sector, since the armored force that erred organically belongs to the 202nd Battalion’s combat team, so it is not clear how such a fatal mistake occurred,” Ynet reported.

Three brigade combat teams are operating in Jabalia, and around 130 terrorists have been killed so far. Most of the city’s civilian population has been evacuated.

Israel releases new Gaza death toll, claims historically low civilian deaths

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Netanyahu’s statement, “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone,” resonates as a stark reminder of Israel’s readiness to act independently while still acknowledging the global support for its cause from numerous international quarters. Photo Credit: AP

(JNS) The ratio of terrorists to Palestinian noncombatants killed during Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip is approximately one to one, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed this week.

“What Israel has done is take the effort to minimize civilian casualties as no other army has done,” the Israeli leader said in an interview with U.S. author and political adviser Dan Senor on Monday.

“We use leaflets, we use millions of text messages, phone calls. We actually call the people, give up the benefit of surprise, tell them: ‘Get out of the way. Get out of the war zone so that we can accomplish our military objectives while you’re in a safe place,’” said Netanyahu.

“We’re facing 35,000 Hamas terrorists. We’ve killed already about 14,000, wounded many others, and we’re progressing towards that goal” of destroying the terror group, he added.

Israeli government spokesman Avi Hyman on Monday reinforced Netanyahu’s message, saying that the Israel Defense Forces had killed more than 14,000 terrorists and approximately 16,000 civilians since the outbreak of the war on Oct. 7.

“Israel is setting the new gold standard for urban warfare with what appears to be the lowest civilian-to-combatant casualty ratio in history,” stated Hyman.

Last week, the United Nations admitted it overcounted the number of Gazan children who have been confirmed killed in the war by a staggering 42%.

In March, the U.N. Children’s Fund stated that 13,450 children had been killed, citing figures from the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry. Last Wednesday, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released updated casualty figures according to which 7,797 Gazan children have died in the war as of April 30.

“The revisions are taken…you know, of course, in the fog of war, it’s difficult to come up with numbers,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, told JNS on Friday.

The 13,450 statistic was cited frequently in the international press, leading to accusations that the Jewish state had committed war crimes, including intentionally targeting children.

NYC Council’s Ban on Political Signs Includes Israeli Hostages Posters; Sparks Debate Over Free Speech

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- “There are now five Republicans in the council who are going to be the voice countering the progressive wing of the Democratic Party,” said Inna Vernikov, a newly minted lawmaker who was elected in November’s backlash against the blue wave. Photo Credit: Courtesy

NYC Council’s Ban on Political Signs Includes Israeli Hostages Posters; Sparks Debate Over Free Speech

Edited by: Fern Sidman

In a contentious move, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has directed lawmakers to remove all political signs from their desks, including pro-Israel posters and flyers, as was reported by the New York Post on Wednesday. This decision has sparked significant outrage among council members, with some viewing it as an infringement on their freedom of expression.

The directive was first proposed during a conference with other council Democrats on Monday. Speaker Adams, who is not related to Mayor Eric Adams, initiated the plan in an effort to mitigate the heated rhetoric between lawmakers over the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to sources, the Post reported. The council’s general counsel formalized the directive in a memo on Wednesday, informing members that they could no longer “affix on furniture or otherwise display signs or flags” in the chamber or during any meetings without prior approval from the speaker.

The directive has been met with strong opposition from several council members. Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn) was particularly vocal, criticizing the move as a blatant power play. “This is a shameful, disgusting excuse of a power flex, used to curtail my freedom of expression,” Vernikov declared, as was indicated in the Post report.  She emphasized the constitutional right of her colleagues to display signs, regardless of differing opinions. “My colleagues have a constitutional right to hang a ‘Cease-fire now’ poster, no matter how much I disagree with them. I have a right to display a poster of a hostage, no matter how much my colleagues disagree with my message,” she asserted, according to the report in the Post.

Historically, council members have used signs and displays on their desks to express political views or make points during meetings. However, the information provided in the Post report said that the practice has become increasingly contentious amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, with displays supporting both sides of the conflict appearing in the chamber.

Council leaders have defended the directive, stating that the ban on political signs has always been part of the chamber’s guidelines and Robert’s Rules of Order, which are widely accepted parliamentary procedures, as per the Post report. “This is a common type of regulation observed by many legislative bodies at the state and federal level,” a spokesperson for the council explained.

As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to provoke strong emotions and opinions, legislative bodies across the country are grappling with similar issues. The directive in New York City reflects a broader trend of legislative bodies seeking to regulate expressions of political views to maintain order and focus on legislative duties.

Officials defending the directive have cited the historic and irreplaceable nature of the council members’ desks. They argue that affixing signs and posters to these desks could cause damage, justifying the need for the ban, as was detailed in the Post report.   While the preservation of historic furniture is a valid concern, the move has sparked fears of setting a dangerous precedent that could stifle political discourse.

Despite these preservation concerns, the directive has faced significant opposition from some council members who see it as an infringement on their right to free speech. Councilman Kalman Yeger, a Brooklyn Democrat, was particularly vocal in his criticism. “There is no member of the council to determine unilaterally what members put on their desk,” Yeger stated, according to the Post. He expressed his intention to defy the directive by putting his signs back up.

Yeger’s stance reflects a broader sentiment among some lawmakers who view the ban as an encroachment on their ability to express political views. This sentiment was echoed by another council member who spoke to The Post, emphasizing that political positions among politicians are a normal part of democratic discourse. “Curbing free speech sets a dangerous precedent,” the source warned, as was noted in the Post report. The source added that while there is a need to lower the temperature in the chamber, the approach taken by the speaker threatens fundamental democratic principles.

The directive comes at a time when the Israel-Hamas conflict has heightened political tensions within the council. Displays of support for both sides of the conflict have appeared in the chamber, contributing to a charged atmosphere. The Post reported that a council source criticized progressive members for what they described as “militarizing” their causes and making them overly political, which has forced other members to deal with the fallout.

Despite the backlash, council sources expect that all signs will be removed by Thursday. The council spokesperson defended the directive, noting that similar regulations are observed by many legislative bodies at the state and federal levels, the report added. This adherence to broader legislative practices aims to ensure order and decorum within the chamber.

The Shifting Sands of NY Real Estate: RFR’s Struggles and the Gowanus Project

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NYC is set to welcome a new architectural marvel into its iconic skyline—a multi-billion-dollar office tower at 350 Park Avenue. Credit: Foster + Partners

The Shifting Sands of NY Real Estate: RFR’s Struggles and the Gowanus Project

Edited by: TJVNews.com

In the bustling neighborhood of Gowanus, Brooklyn, a significant real estate development has become the center of a high-stakes financial skirmish. According to a report on Monday on The Real Deal web site,  at the heart of this contention is the sprawling 827-unit multifamily project located at 175 Third Street, directly across from the local Whole Foods. This project, spearheaded by Aby Rosen’s RFR, has fallen into precarious waters due to a default on an $80 million mortgage.

RFR’s financial woes began after acquiring the site in 2018. The property, a block-long development stretching over three acres, was purchased from SL Green and Kushner Companies for $115 million. As was reported by The Real Deal, to finance this acquisition, RFR secured a loan from Union Labor Life Insurance Company. However, the developer soon found itself unable to meet the terms of the loan, resulting in a default.

The fallout from this default quickly attracted attention from opportunistic investors. Josh Zegen’s Madison Realty Capital, a notable player in real estate investment, recognized an opportunity in RFR’s misfortune, as per the information in The Real Deal report. In a strategic move, Madison Realty Capital acquired the distressed debt from Union Labor, aiming to seize control over the site by initiating a foreclosure on RFR’s interests.

This development is a significant indicator of the current turbulence within New York City’s real estate sector, particularly in multifamily developments. Indicated in The Real Deal report was that while construction across the city has seen a general slowdown, Gowanus has remained a hive of activity, making any major shifts in property ownership particularly noteworthy.

Madison Realty Capital’s acquisition of the debt was not done in isolation. The firm collaborated with Marvin Azrak’s Maguire Capital Group, calling attention to the potential value seen in this troubled asset, as was detailed in The Real Deal report. The partnership has scheduled a UCC foreclosure, which if successful, could dramatically alter the landscape of ownership and development in Gowanus.

This situation also casts a spotlight on the broader challenges facing RFR. Already having lost several properties, and with more facing foreclosure, the firm’s struggles are symptomatic of larger issues within the sector, including rising costs and a cooling market.

RFR’s financial difficulties have been mounting, with several of its trophy properties slipping from its grasp. Notably, RFR has lost control of iconic sites such as the Lever House and the Gramercy Park Hotel, landmarks that once symbolized the company’s prowess in the high-stakes arena of New York real estate, as was noted in The Real Deal report. Adding to the company’s woes, in March, the $104.5 million mortgage on its office building at 90 Fifth Avenue was transferred to special servicing due to payment failures. Shortly thereafter, Rialto Capital Partners reported that RFR had defaulted on $39 million in promissory notes, which were part of a loan sale by Signature Bank last year, according to the information provided in The Real Deal report.

In this turbulent real estate climate, Madison Realty Capital, in partnership with Maguire Capital Group, has emerged as a keen player, capitalizing on distressed properties. The report on The Real Deal also said that this partnership had previously manifested in March when they acquired a distressed loan on the Fifth Avenue Hotel in Nomad, marking a continued strategy of seizing opportunities amid others’ financial distress.

One of RFR’s largest and most troubled ventures is the Gowanus multifamily project. Located next to the Gowanus Canal, this site was set to become one of Brooklyn’s largest apartment developments. Despite its potential, the site has remained inactive, as was indicated in The Real Deal report. RFR attempted to offload the property in 2019, pricing it over $200 million, but failed to attract buyers.

The neighborhood’s rezoning two years later sparked a flurry of multifamily building plans, spurred by developers racing to take advantage of the soon-to-expire 421a tax abatement program. Although the state recently extended the construction completion deadline for 421a by five years, to 2031, this extension offers a lifeline to projects like RFR’s that had a late start, according to the information contained in The Real Deal report.  Yet, even with this extension, the development market remains daunting, stifled by high interest rates and a stringent lending environment.

The stalled Gowanus project remains a symbol of potential that is yet to be realized, emblematic of the uncertainties pervading New York City’s development landscape. As RFR struggles to stabilize its holdings and rethink its strategies, the real estate community watches closely, anticipating the next moves in a city that continues to evolve, albeit unpredictably.

 

NYC kosher restaurant’s window smashed after anti-Israel protest

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Rothschild TLV Facebook

(A7) The windows of a popular kosher restaurant in New York City’s Upper East Side were smashed by vandals following anti-Israel protests early Wednesday morning, the New York Post reported.

The front window of the Rothschild TLV restaurant was smashed overnight, chef Guy Kairi told the Post. Kairi blamed the vandalism on anti-Israel protesters who targeted the restaurant on Tuesday.

“There were people passing by yesterday saying bad things, things like, ‘No wonder this place is empty, free Palestine,’” Kairi said.

Another Israeli-owned business, the Nuts Factory candy store, also had its windows shattered overnight.

The Combat Antisemitism Movement stated, “Jewish-owned businesses in New York were targeted in a cowardly rampage last night. Windows at Rothschild TLV and the Nuts Factory in Manhattan’s Upper East Side were smashed. These spiteful attacks must be swiftly prosecuted as the hate crimes they are.”

Users on X posted pictures of the shattered window and compared the incident to Kristallnacht.

Multiple kosher and Jewish-owned restaurants in Manhattan have been targeted by anti-Israel activists since the Hamas massacre of October 7.

Two weeks ago, the owner of the ZiZi restaurant, found two swastikas spray painted on the restaurant’s outdoor dining shed.

In December, Hummus Kitchen, a kosher restaurant on the Upper East Side owned by the same person as Zizi, saw two incidents within a few days of each other. During the first incident, a woman tore down an American-Israeli flag and threw soup at a restaurant employee. A few days later another woman attempted to cover up the flag displayed outside the eatery and shoved an employee, four days after the original incident.

Jewish students sue Haverford, alleging antisemitic civil rights violations

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Haverford College in the Philadelphia suburbs, May 15, 2024. Photo by Carin M. Smilk.

(JNS) A Jewish group at Haverford College in Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit on Monday in federal court alleging that the highly-ranked private liberal arts school violated students’ civil rights and created a pervasively hostile environment for Jews on campus.

The plaintiffs in the case are five students—one of whom was named—who are all part of the group, which consists of faculty, students, alumni and parents. The five say that the college has engaged in discrimination against pro-Israel Jewish students in violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The suit is the latest in a wave of legal actions against colleges and universities that Jewish students have filed in court or with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Harvard University, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and New York University are among the institutions that Jewish students have sued for antisemitic discrimination in the wake of Oct. 7.

Jews at Haverford is a group represented in Monday’s suit by the Deborah Project, a public-interest law firm that defends the civil rights of Jews on campus.

In its suit, the group details what Jewish students at Haverford have experienced since Oct. 7 and how administrators have responded—or failed to do so—to their complaints about antisemitic violations of Haverford’s conduct policies. (Haverford told JNS it doesn’t comment on pending litigation.)

In one example, Haverford president Wendy Raymond was asked about a series of social-media posts by a professor at the college who reposted an image of a bulldozer used in the Oct. 7 attacks with the text, “We should never have to apologize for celebrating these scenes of an imprisoned people breaking free from their chains. This was a historic moment to be recorded in the history books.”

Several attendees at a Jewish student event asked the college president whether the post by Tarik Aougab—who remains a Haverford math and statistics professor—qualified as antisemitism.

“President Raymond answered that his statement ‘could be perceived in many ways,’” per the lawsuit. “Asked how she perceived it, she answered ‘I hear people breaking free from their chains.’”

Haverford CollegeHaverford College in the Philadelphia suburbs, May 15, 2024. Photo by Carin M. Smilk.

‘Impossible for the complainants to ignore the hostility’

Lori Lowenthal Marcus, legal director at the Deborah Project, told JNS that the complaint, which runs just under 100 pages long, “is stuffed with incident after incident of horrible, vile antisemitic statements, actions, activities, chants, disruptions, intimidation, harassment and oppression by members of the Haverford College community.”

“Haverford is a very small liberal arts college, and it is impossible for the complainants to ignore the hostility towards Jews permeating the campus if you live, eat, attend classes and/or participate in any events at Haverford,” she told JNS.

Two issues make the lawsuit alleging Jew-hatred and breach of contract different from other similar suits, she said.

Jewish students, faculty and leaders engaged “with the highest-level administrators, who still chose to not only rebuff the impassioned pleas for understanding and action by those administrators, but also to publicly praise the hostility and harassment towards the Jews at Haverford,” she said.

Haverford CollegeHaverford College in the Philadelphia suburbs, May 15, 2024. Photo by Carin M. Smilk.

Unlike other complaints alleging antisemitism against colleges and universities, this suit was filed in federal court, rather than with the U.S. Department of Education, Lowenthal Marcus said.

The Haverford suit is similar to many other recent complaints about Jew-hatred on campus in that the students allege that Haverford has instituted a double standard, with hyper-vigilance for potential infractions against other minorities and a systematic decision by the administration to ignore antisemitism.

“Hate speech about Jews and Israel is permitted to the full extent of the First Amendment, whereas anything that might conceivably be understood as hate speech about any other minority group—as defined by the recipient minority group—is not tolerated, even when such speech would otherwise be protected by the First Amendment,” according to the lawsuit.

In another instance, McKnight and the school’s athletic director, Danielle Lynch, told Ally Landau—the named plaintiff and a guard on the women’s basketball team—that she had to cancel an antisemitism awareness event at a game or else the game would be forfeited.

“An antisemitism awareness basketball game might prove too antagonistic to the pro-Palestinian students on campus,” she says administrators told her.

“The college might not be able to control the anticipated mob of antisemites from storming the basketball court and refusing to leave,” the administrators added, per the suit. “Were that to happen, Ally was informed, the Haverford women’s basketball team would have to forfeit the game, as required by the NCAA rules.”

Raymond, McKnight and Jesse Lytle, a vice president and chief of staff at the college, “subsequently claimed to complaining parents and alumni that Ally Landau decided on her own to cancel the antisemitism awareness component of the game, and that Dean McKnight had offered to support the team if she chose to go forward with it,” the suit adds. “This is a lie.”

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