
Why I and thousands of my fellow Gazans say Hamas's tyranny must end
Moumen Al-Natour is a Gazan lawyer, co-organizer of the 2019 'We Want to Live' street demonstrations and former political prisoner of Hamas.
After Hamas and Israel signed a ceasefire deal in January, I returned from Khan Younis to my home in Gaza City to find that only one room was still standing. Just enough, I thought, to start piecing my life back together. In March, the bombs started falling again.

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3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hobbs vetoes antisemitism bill, says it's an attack on teachers
Image via Getty Images Arizona's Democratic governor has vetoed a GOP-backed bill that would ban the teaching of antisemitism in public schools and universities — and allow teachers to be personally sued for alleged violations. Critics claimed the proposal would put public school teachers, and comprehensive teaching about the Holocaust, at risk. House Bill 2867 sought to ban Arizona's public K-12 teachers and university professors from teaching antisemitism in their classrooms, and make it illegal for schools to provide antisemitic professional development. But combating antisemitism was just a smokescreen, Gov. Katie Hobbs wrote in her veto letter. 'Unfortunately, this bill is not about antisemitism; it's about attacking our teachers,' Hobbs wrote. 'It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Sponsored by Rep. Michael Way, R-Queen Creek, the bill would have allowed students or their parents to bring civil lawsuits against teachers who they claim violated the law. It would have required teachers to be held personally liable for damages, exempting antisemitism from laws that generally shield teachers from being sued for what they teach in the classroom. A handful of Democratic legislators also voted to pass HB2867, including sisters Alma and Consuelo Hernandez, who are both Jewish and have a history of support for Israel and advocacy for expanding laws to combat antisemitism. The bill's creation was spurred by increased antisemitism that occurred across the country and in Arizona after Hamas's brutal Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that left more than 1,200 dead and 240 kidnapped, and Israel's violent and ongoing response to it. 'If you're pretending that this (antisemitism in schools) does not happen, shame on you, because it does and it's problematic,' Alma Hernandez said before the final vote in the House of Representatives on June 4. '…it is not your right to tell us what is offensive and what isn't antisemitism.' Lori Shepherd, the executive director of the Tucson Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center, asked Hobbs to veto the bill to ensure that teachers can continue with comprehensive lessons about the Holocaust and its aftermath. 'Teaching the Holocaust is not simple,' Shepherd wrote in a June 6 letter to Hobbs. 'It requires confronting moral ambiguity, exploring the roots of hatred, and examining how propaganda, nationalism, and apathy paved the way to genocide. It also invites students to ask tough questions about the legacy of the Holocaust today—questions that often touch on the history of Zionism, the founding of the State of Israel, and the persistence of global antisemitism.' During a Feb. 18 House Education Committee hearing, Republican Rep. Matt Gress, of Phoenix, said he didn't interpret HB2867 as possibly interfering with education about the Holocaust. 'Hate should not be existing inside of our schools,' Gress said. 'And I think this bill moves in that direction.' The definition of antisemitism used in the bill is a controversial one created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance that includes 'claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour' as an example of antisemitism. Even Ken Stern, who helped to draft the definition 20 years ago when he was the American Jewish Committee's antisemitism expert, now advocates against its use in legal matters, arguing that it has been used as 'a blunt instrument to label anyone an antisemite.' When Sen. Mitzi Epstein of Tempe, whose husband is Jewish, proposed an amendment to the bill to ban the teaching of various other types of discrimination, remove personal civil liability for teachers and apply the law to both public and private schools, it was voted down along party lines. Hobbs wrote in her veto letter that parents and students can already report allegations of unprofessional conduct from teachers to the State Board of Education. 'I am confident that by using those tools, we can fulfill our moral and legal responsibility to eradicate hate and discrimination in our public school system,' she wrote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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Marco Rubio condemns UK sanctions on Israeli ministers
The US Secretary of State has condemned Sir Keir Starmer for imposing sanctions on two Israeli politicians over their government's war in Gaza. Marco Rubio has criticised Britain and other nations who on Tuesday announced they would break with the US and sanction two ultra-nationalist Israeli cabinet ministers. The UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway accused Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich of 'inciting violence against the Palestinian people'. Mr Ben-Gvir hit back on Tuesday night, comparing Sir Keir to Neville Chamberlain, the former Prime Minister who was accused of effectively appeasing the Nazis. Mr Rubio said the sanctions 'do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war'. He urged the UK 'not to forget who the real enemy is'. Mr Ben-Gvir, who has called for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, responded to Mr Rubio's post on X, saying: 'History will judge the Chamberlains of our time.' America's ambassador to the UK said he fully supported Mr Rubio's comments and added that the sanctions 'impede constructive dialogue'. Under the sanctions, Mr Ben-Gvir, Israel's national security minister, and Mr Smotrich, the finance minister, will be banned from entering the UK. All of their financial assets in Britain will also be frozen. Israel faces growing international criticism over the conduct of its war with Hamas. Last week, the Prime Minister described its actions in Gaza as 'appalling' as aid groups have accused Israeli of blocking food and medicine from entering the territory despite a growing humanitarian crisis. Foreign Office sources told The Telegraph they hoped sanctioning high-profile members of the Israeli government would make clear that the UK was willing to get tough to allow aid into Gaza and to bring about a ceasefire. The sanctions mark a significant break between No 10 and the White House. Donald Trump has lifted sanctions on Israeli settlers and threatened diplomatic action against the International Criminal Court (ICC) as it seeks to investigate Israel for war crimes. The Foreign Office is understood to have informed the US government that the sanctions were coming on Monday night. However, the State Department was not given a chance to object or veto the decision. In a joint statement, the five countries said Mr Ben Gvir and Mr Smotrich 'have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights'. 'These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account,' they added. Gideon Saar, Israel's foreign minister, slammed the sanctions as 'outrageous'. He added: 'I discussed it earlier today with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, and we will hold a special government meeting early next week to decide on our response to this unacceptable decision.' Mr Smotrich once described all the Arab population of the West Bank as 'Nazis'. Last month, he said Gaza should be 'totally destroyed' and its population evacuated. He also said he would not let a 'grain of wheat' into the territory. David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said the pair had used 'horrendous extremist language' and that he would 'encourage the Israeli government to disavow and condemn that language'. He has also described the conduct of the Israeli army as 'monstrous' and condemned the actions of 'extremist' settlers in the West Bank. New Zealand's foreign minister insisted the measures were not directed against the Israeli people or government. 'Rather, the travel bans are targeted at two individuals who are using their leadership positions to actively undermine peace and security and remove prospects for a two-state solution,' Winston Peters said. On Tuesday, the US dropped its support for an independent Palestine. Mike Huckabee, America's ambassador to Israel, said a two-state solution was no longer White House policy. He said: 'Unless there are some significant things that happen that change the culture, there's no room for it.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.


San Francisco Chronicle
6 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Arizona governor vetoes bill banning teaching antisemitism, calls it an attack on educators
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed a proposal that would have banned teaching antisemitism at the state's public K-12 schools, universities and colleges and exposed educators who violate the new rules to discipline and lawsuits. The proposal would have prohibited teachers and administrators from teaching or promoting antisemitism or antisemitic actions that create a hostile environment, calling for the genocide of any group or requiring students to advocate for an antisemitic point of view. It also would have barred public schools from using public money to support the teaching of antisemitism. Hobbs, a Democrat, said Tuesday that the bill was not about antisemitism but rather about attacking teachers. 'It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits," she said in a statement. "Additionally, it sets a dangerous precedent that unfairly targets public school teachers while shielding private school staff." Hobbs described antisemitism as a very troubling issue in the U.S., but said students and parents can go through the state's Board of Education to report antisemitism. The measure cleared the Legislature last week on a 33-20 vote by the House, including a few Democrats who crossed party lines to support it. It's one of a few proposals to combat antisemitism across the country. Democrats tried but failed to remove the lawsuit provision and swap out references to antisemitism within the bill with 'unlawful discrimination' to reflect other discrimination. The bill's chief sponsor, Republican Rep. Michael Way, of Queen Creek, has said his proposal would create accountability when educators fail to protect students from the rise in antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Opponents said the bill aimed to silence people who want to speak out on the oppression of Palestinians and opened up educators to personal legal liability in lawsuits students could file. Students over the age of 18 and the parents of younger pupils would have been able to file lawsuits over violations that create a hostile education environment, leaving teachers responsible for paying any damages that may be awarded, denying them immunity and prohibiting the state from paying any judgments arising from any such lawsuits. Last week, Lori Shepherd, executive director of Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, wrote in a letter to Hobbs that if the bill were approved it would threaten teachers' ability to provide students with a full account of the holocaust. Under the bill, 'those discussions could be deemed 'antisemitic' depending on how a single phrase is interpreted, regardless of intent or context,' she said. The bill would have created a process for punishing those who break the rules. At K-12 schools, a first-offense violation would lead to a reprimand, a second offense to a suspension of a teacher or principal's certificate and a third offense to a revocation of the certificate. At colleges and universities, violators would have faced a reprimand on first offense, a suspension without pay for a second offense and termination for a third offense. The proposal also would have required colleges and universities to consider violations by employees to be a negative factor when making employment or tenure decisions. Under the proposal, universities and colleges couldn't recognize any student organization that invites a guest speaker who incites antisemitism, encourages its members to engage in antisemitism or calls for the genocide of any group. Elsewhere in the U.S., a Louisiana lawmaker is pushing a resolution that asks universities to adopt policies to combat antisemitism on campuses and collect data on antisemitism-related reports and complaints. And a Michigan lawmaker has proposed putting a definition of antisemitism into the state's civil rights law.