Israel Says It Destroyed Drones With Lasers
TEL AVIV—Israel said it used a laser air-defense system to shoot down drones in wartime, deploying weapons that would mark a technological leap on the battlefield.
Israel's Defense Ministry said Wednesday that it has intercepted drones with laser-powered weapons more than 40 times since its multifront war began after Hamas attacked from Gaza in October 2023. Most of the drones the lasers destroyed came from Lebanon, said Daniel Gold, head of the ministry's directorate of defense research and development.
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Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Battleground senators condemn antisemitism at Hatch Foundation event after terror attack
Pennsylvania Sens. John Fetterman and David McCormick joined together to condemn antisemitism at a bipartisan event just a day after police say a terror attack in Colorado was the latest in a series of increasing acts of antisemitism in the U.S. Fetterman, a Democrat and staunch ally of Israel, and McCormick, a Republican in his first term, joined the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation for its Senate Project Series on Monday. They admitted that while they disagree on many things, they both stand against the 'horrific rise of antisemitism across our country and the world.' That includes in their home state, where a man broke into Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's mansion in April and threw in two Molotov cocktails, starting a fire. No injuries were reported, but Shapiro had celebrated Passover with his family just hours before the attack. Police later said the suspect cited the war in Gaza as a reason for the attack. The Hatch Foundation series is intended to bridge the gap between parties, create dialogue between lawmakers on opposite sides of the aisle in the Senate and build on the relationship between former Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican, and former Sen. Ted Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat. Fetterman and McCormick's conversation, moderated by Fox News' Shannon Bream, came just a day after a terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, where police arrested a suspect after he used a 'makeshift flame thrower and threw an incendiary device' into a crowd of people participating in a walk for the hostages held by Hamas. Witnesses said the man yelled 'Free Palestine' as he carried out the attacks. Fetterman, who has been one of the most outspoken Democrats backing Israel in the ongoing conflict, highlighted the attack in Boulder while speaking to the crowd at the event Monday. 'What happened yesterday in Boulder, it's astonishing, you know, the kinds of, the rank antisemitism … out of control,' Fetterman said. The attack comes as a rise of antisemitism occurs across the country in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza that began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. According to the Anti-Defamation League's Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, assault and vandalism increased significantly in 2024 and overall antisemitic incidents increased 5% from the year before. The FBI has reported that hate crimes for all races, religions, sexual orientation and gender were on the rise in 2023. The senators noted how there's been a rise in their state of Pennsylvania, too, evident in the attack on Shapiro. McCormick said he visited the University of Pennsylvania campus, where pro-Palestinian protests occurred, including a 16-day encampment in 2024 as part of a larger wave of demonstrations at universities across the country. 'You started to see these huge … rallies and this antisemitist … hate,' McCormick said Monday. 'Hatred really spewed at places like University of Pennsylvania and others. I actually went to University of Pennsylvania, saw these demonstrations. This wasn't free speech. This was intimidation, and in some cases physical violence.' 'We see this deeply seeded in our society and it's something that we have to stand up against with complete moral clarity,' he later said. The state also grieved after a gunman killed 11 people during Shabbat morning services in the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. The shooting anniversary was where Fetterman said he and McCormick met for the first time. 'From the Tree of Life massacre down the road from where we live, to Boulder yesterday, D.C. the week before, and so many more horrific accounts,' Fetterman said in a post online. 'We both see the way antisemitism has impacted communities across Pennsylvania, the country and the world—and we must call it out.' While the two senators agree that antisemitism is wrong and should be stopped, they didn't point to concrete ways to reduce it across the country, Bream told her fellow Fox News hosts after the panel. However, they did share support for Israel in its offensive against Hamas, and for securing the country's southern border, among other issues. Matt Sandgren, the executive director of the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, said the Senate Project works to prove Hatch's belief that the Senate works best when lawmakers can disagree respectfully. 'The Senate Project continues to prove that principle can thrive even in these divided times,' Sandgren said in a statement, noting the foundation was thankful to the senators for 'showing that serious, respectful debate still has a place in American politics.'
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wyoming Valley Jewish community issues response to attack in Boulder, Colorado
Jun. 2—KINGSTON — The Wyoming Valley Jewish community has issued a response to the recent attack in Boulder, Colorado. The statement was released by David E. Schwager, Esq., Chair, Community Relations Council, and Jane Messinger, President, Friedman JCC. The response "We in the Wyoming Valley Jewish community are horrified by the attack in Boulder, Colorado, targeting an event in support of the Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas. This 'Run for Their Lives' event suffered an attack in which a makeshift flamethrower and multiple Molotov cocktails directed at participants, causing multiple injuries. "This follows the deadly antisemitic shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, just days ago and the fire-bombing of Gov. Josh Shapiro's home in Harrisburg on Passover in April. "Make no mistake, if and when Jews are targeted to protest Israel's actions, it should clearly and unequivocally be understood and condemned as antisemitism. "These attacks come alongside a broader rise in antisemitism, from hate crimes targeting Jews walking down the street, to efforts to marginalize, isolate, and discriminate against Jews, to antisemitic and white supremacist mass violence targeting synagogues and other spaces. "The Jewish community across the country was already feeling incredibly vulnerable following years of this increasingly normalized antisemitism. These recent attacks only compound that fear. "Anyone who claims to care about fundamental civil and human rights must speak out against this hate and violence, no matter where it comes from." About the Friedman JCC The Friedman Jewish Community Center is dedicated to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for individuals and families in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Offering a wide range of programs and services to individuals and families of all faiths and backgrounds, the Friedman JCC is committed to fostering a sense of community, promoting health and wellness, and enriching lives through cultural, educational and recreational activities. — Staff Report
New York Times
37 minutes ago
- New York Times
Attack Suspect Appeared to Live a Low-Key Life in Colorado Springs
Mohamed Sabry Soliman told the police that he had tried to disguise himself as a gardener on Sunday afternoon when he headed toward a group that was walking in downtown Boulder, Colo., to remember the hostages being held in Gaza, the authorities said. Mr. Soliman, a 45-year-old born in Egypt, carried flowers he had bought from a Home Depot store, according to a Boulder police detective. He wore an orange vest. And he had strapped on a backpack sprayer, the kind that gardeners often use to apply fertilizer or pesticide. But the sprayer was full of gasoline. The fiery weekend terror attack that the authorities say Mr. Soliman soon carried out — in a plot he said he had hatched himself — injured 12 people, who were burned by two homemade Molotov cocktails that the authorities say he threw into the crowd. Mr. Soliman yelled 'Free Palestine' during the attacks, the authorities said, and later told the police he 'wanted them all to die' because he believed the demonstrators were 'Zionists' supporting the occupation of Palestine. Before Sunday, Mr. Soliman appeared to have lived a prosaic life in Colorado Springs, where he drove for a ride share service and was raising five children with his wife in a worn stucco apartment amid the dry, windy suburban stretch east of town. He told the police he had assembled his dangerous arsenal of explosives from everyday household goods. But the assault resonated far beyond Boulder. It came roughly two weeks after another supporter of the Palestinian cause killed two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, D.C., sending fresh waves of fear through Jewish communities around the world whose members were left wondering if anywhere was safe for them as Israel's war in Gaza grinded on. Mr. Soliman was arrested minutes after the attack and was being held on a $10 million bond. Police officers found him on a patch of grass near the Boulder courthouse, shirtless and screaming at the crowd, holding two Molotov cocktails. At least 14 other Molotov cocktails were found near him in a black plastic container. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
